When I awoke on the cold and windy morning of March 17, I knew a celebration of my heritage was in order. The sun had risen on yet another St. Patrick’s Day. But this year would be different.

Today, in addition to observing the traditions of the Irish, I would also experience an unparalleled slice of Americana. Today, I would see grown men in costumes ricocheting off trampolines, flying through the air and performing gravity-defying slam dunks, Today, I would watch a U.S. Marine named Brian dominate a karaoke contest with a rendition of Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” — sung to a baby. Today, I would attend a basketball game starring the Harlem Globetrotters.

For years, my familiarity with the Globetrotters was limited — the brief glimpses I had caught on TV commercials told me that they liked to whistle and could dribble a basketball with dizzying antics. As it turns out, they do not whistle, though I did hear “Sweet Georgia Brown,” their whimsical theme song, blared over the loudspeaker repeatedly.

The game was preceded by karaoke contest starring several fans, but no one could compete with Brian’s pipes. The crowd went wild when the Globetrotters finally took the court, and they then warmed up with the “magic circle,” sending one player at a time into the middle for a brief ball-handling showcase. After slapping the ball out of the referee’s hands prematurely, a legal tip-off ensued and the game was underway. The rumors of wacky stunts proved true — the Globetrotters literally dribbled circles around the New York Nationals, smacking them silly by a score of 58-36.

After the magic show of a basketball game, I caught up with Nationals player and coach Shawn Faust to see if he was disappointed with his team’s loss.

“We could’ve played better,” he said. Faust, who with his short stature and pasty white skin looks more like a 30-something accountant on Wall Street than a barnstorming basketball star, was more guarded when pressed about the season’s overall performance and how many games his team has won this year.

“We never miss on purpose. We play hard,” he replied.

The game showcased a steady stream of shenanigans, led by player Paul “Showtime” Gaffney, who delighted in provoking not only the referee and the announcer, but also the Verizon Center audience. With a microphone handclipped to his jersey, Gaffney broadcasted his tomfoolery across the court. He made cracks about the referee’s weight, booed the announcer when he dared to mention Gaffney’s foul and set up his teammates in a non-sequitur football formation before driving to the hoop. After laying an unwanted kiss on Faust, Gaffney strolled away.

“What’s the matter, Shaggy?” he asked, mercilessly poking fun at his opponent’s shoulder-length brown hair. “Never had brown sugar before? It’s better than a Scooby Snack!”

Sliding on one knee, dribbling circles around opponents and performing their trademark “weave” move, the red, white and blue-clad Globetrotters trampled on the weak Nationals team, whose sole existence — at least for a few hours — became dominated by the jumping jesters. The Globetrotters may never again have Hall of Fame-caliber players like Wilt Chamberlain or Bob Gibson among their ranks, but the team still boasts a few talented former college players who can still put on a show.

During breaks in game action, the “Hot Boyz” squad entertained the crowd, performing some of the most impressive basketball stunts on the court with the help of their springy trampoline. They wowed the crowd by passing the ball to each other off the backboard in midair, leaving the final man in position for a gargantuan front-flip slam dunk.

The Globetrotter’s mascot, Globie,is a sight to behold. Clad in oversized shoes, Pete Maravich-style floppy socks and a uniform red, white and blue as Old Glory itself, Globie showed off his dance moves, his backwards baseball cap teetering on the top of his head, much to the delight of the crowd’s large contingent of children.

I asked Kiarra, 8, for her favorite part of the show. “All of it!” she said. Her sister, Kayla, however, had her eye on Gaffney. Gesturing towards the 6-foot-6 forward, she replied, “Whenever that man makes jokes!”

The Globetrotters began playing basketball in the Negro American Legion League in Chicago, after becoming a professional squad in 1927. Originally known as the “Giles Post,” they did not become the Harlem Globetrotters until a white man named Abe Saperstein, an unsuccessful semi-pro athlete, purchased the team. Though they would not actually play a game there until 1968, Saperstein gave the team the Harlem label to indicate the players’ African-American heritage.

In 1939, the first year the Globetrotters competed professionally, the team’s fate changed during the course of a runaway win. “The Globetrotters began to clown around, and the crowd loved it,” the team’s Web site says.

Saberstein encouraged the comedic routine, and slowly the team evolved into its current form. The team enjoyed incredible popularity during the ’40s and ’50s. In the postwar years, they performed for Pope Pius XII twice, defeated the NBA champion Minneapolis Lakers and produced the first black player to play an NBA game, Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton, who joined the New York Knicks in 1950.

After several ownership changes and an overall decline due to competition with the NBA for star power, former Globetrotter Mannie Jackson bought the team in 1993. The team continues to play around the world, and is renowned not only for its players’ basketball skills but for their role as ambassadors of goodwill. Under Jackson’s leadership, the team has held youth basketball camps and donated millions of dollars to charitable organizations.

With such a long and varied history, only time will tell the future of the Globetrotters. Today, though, the Globetrotters attract a broad audience, young and old.

From his seat high in the stands, Alfonso, an affable 52-year-old, smiled broadly as he gazed down at the hardwood where the Globetrotters were holding a post-game autograph session. “I’ve been coming here since I was his age,” Alfonso said, pointing to his 6-year-old grandson, Wee Man. “Nothin’s really changed.”