Harlem Wizards a hysterical slam dunk at Cape

The Harlem Wizards brought their hilarity and awesome basketball skills to Cape Henlopen High School on Nov. 18, when people of all ages were treated to an entertaining, infectious belly laugh.

Founded in 1962, the Harlem Wizards entertain crowds throughout the country using their skills to deliver successful fundraiser events for schools and nonprofits. The Wizards have four traveling squads that spread their talents across the country, and last season they played in 400 communities while raising more than $2 million for charities. Proceeds from this event will benefit schools in the Cape Henlopen School District.

The Wizards play against community volunteers at their events. This event pitted the Wizards against a group of teachers from the Cape district and businesspeople from the local community, aka the Cape Crusaders.

“It was a blast,“ said Surf Bagel owner Dave Vitella, who played for the Cape Crusaders squad. “They lit up the crowd. The kids were absolutely ecstatic.”

The Wizards interact with the audience during pregame, warming up the Wiz Kids, then the comedy takes off with awesome slam dunks, audience participation, merchandise giveaways and lots of laughs.

“My family and I had so much fun,” said Ashley Diehl of Lewes. “It was such a great event. King Arthur choosing to find a seat on my lap has had us laughing since. That was quite a surprise.”

But the Wizards aren’t just basketball players. Point man King Arthur aka Arthur Lewis Jr. was an academic All-American at Bowie State University. He has written a children’s book, “Is the King Too Small to Play Ball?”

“My hope and goal in telling this story is to inspire and motivate young people to believe in themselves no matter how dark things appear. No matter how many nos they hear, they should never give up,” he said. “I want to encourage young people to never abandon their dreams when faced with adversity. This story will demonstrate perseverance, family support, discipline, sacrifice, commitment and self-confidence. While I decided to share this story in the form of a children’s book, I believe readers of all ages will receive a positive message from it.”

The Wizards alumni include Nate “Tiny” Archibald, NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, World Series MVP Donn Clendenon and NBA great Elvin Hayes.

The comedy along with audience participation surely made the Harlem Wizards experience a world-class show enjoyed by all.

“Playing against the Wizards was an awesome experience,” said Joey Vavala, a Beacon Middle School teacher and coach. “It was a great opportunity to represent the Cape community, raise funds for the school district and help put a smile on all the kids’ faces.”