The Harlem Globetrotters brought their ball-spinning, high-flying, prank laden basketball spectacle to El Palacio de los Deportes in Heredia, north of San José, Sunday and the Trotamundos – as they are known in Spanish – did not disappoint.

In front of a near sellout audience, the Globetrotters dazzled the crowd with their array of hoops tricks and scripted gags, treating the crowd to what was more a form of basketball theater than an actual game.

This was the Globetrotters' first visit to Costa Rica since 2001, and the fifth time they've brought their show here. The Globetrotters are on the tail end of their “Spinning the Globe 2009” tour. They also visited Guatemala on Saturday.

Beginning with the traditional display of ball tricks at center court to the whistled Globetrotters theme music, the 1920s jazz song “Sweet Georgia Brown,” the red, white and blue clad Harlem stars captivated the audience throughout the afternoon with the combination of crowd-rousing gags and craftily designed plays that typically ended in high-flying slam dunks.

Bearing names such as Spark, Special K and “El Gato”, the Globetrotters play against the Washington Generals, their longtime rival. As scripted, the coach of the Generals expresses his disdain for Costa Rica, bringing the crowd into the game.

Throughout the game, the Generals coach puts different Globetrotters into a trance using his black and white swirled umbrella. Once hypnotized, the coach directs the Globetrotter players to assist his team by scoring in the wrong basket or passing the ball to the wrong team. On one occasion, the coach's hypnosis causes Harlem captain Special K to fall asleep at center court. To save the day, the crowd has to generate sufficient noise to rouse him from his slumber.

Aside from the villain-hero plot, the Globetrotters also treated fans to other gags, such as disrobing a Generals player, splashing fans with water and breaking into full dance routines in the middle of the court. The Globetrotters also invited several children from the crowd onto the court to shoot baskets, spin the ball on their fingers and clown around with team. Special K, who was born in Panama, directed the fun, thanks in part to his ability to speak a fair amount of Spanish.

The Globetrotters, who played two games on Sunday, succeeded in bringing laughter and an entertaining form of hoops wackiness to Costa Rica. Though the crowd might not have learned the appropriate rules of the hardwood, they definitely enjoyed the show.