Harlem Globetrotters
www.harlemglobetrotters.com/
The Harlem Globetrotters have started their 93rd season with the Fan Powered Tour for 2018-19.
The tour comes through North Texas this weekend, and with it will be one of their newest members, Mansfield Timberview 2013 graduate Lili “Champ” Thompson.
While Thompson is currently rehabilitating a knee injury she suffered during her final college season at Notre Dame this past season, Thompson is doing ambassadorial work for the team.
The Globetrotters will bring their new Fan Powered World Tour to Dallas and Frisco over Thanksgiving Weekend with games at Dr Pepper Arena on Friday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plus, two more games at American Airlines Center on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
“When I was around 7 years old, my family was living in Hawaii on a military base. Over the summer, my parents told me I was going to a multi-day basketball camp with the Harlem Globetrotters. I didn’t know what the Globetrotters were, but I loved basketball and was super excited,” Thompson said, recalling her introduction to the team.
She was drafted in June by the legendary team.
Following an all-state career at Timberview, Thompson had a standout college career at both Notre Dame, where she was part of the 2018 national championship team, and Stanford, whom she helped lead to the Final Four in 2014. As a Cardinal, she was a three-year starter and earned All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All Defensive honorable mention, Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention, and became a two-time ESPN National Player of the Week.
The daughter of two parents who served in the U.S. Army, Thompson is fluent in sign language. She earned her undergraduate degree at Stanford and her master’s at Notre Dame.
Thompson visited her alma mater recently to inspire high school students.
“When I returned back to my high school, I was excited and relieved that not too much had changed,” she said. “I could very clearly see my past self in the faces of the students, and I hoped to impart the support that I was lucky enough to receive.”
