Three words: "Sweet Georgia Brown." Five seconds of this whistlin' tune is all it takes to conjure up images of gravity-defying slam dunks, behind-the-back passes and ridiculous ball-handling. And this can only mean one thing:

The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to town.

For over half a century the Globetrotters have brought their brand of sports entertainment to families (and college students) around the world. In fact, when the team made a stop in Zagreb, Croatia, last year, Croatia became the 115th country to receive the Globetrotters.

For Curley "Boo" Johnson, an 11-year member of the team, it's all part of putting on what he calls "The World's Greatest Basketball Show."

"We play good basketball first, and entertain the people second," Johnson explained. "We establish our dominance, then we make everyone laugh."

That's the game plan for tonight, at least, when the Globetrotters hit the court at The Convo for a marathon of amazing physical skill and screwball humor. Beyond that, Johnson is hesitant to go into details - top secret stuff, you know.

"The things that we are most famous for, people are guaranteed to see," he said.

Clearly, this ain't no Ping-Center pickup game. Don't try this at home.

Johnson, however, is in his element among his flamboyant teammates. For him, it all started in Peoria, Illinois, during a game for his sixth grade church basketball league. Preserving a close lead late in the game, Johnson found an innovative way to keep the ball away from his opponents - dribbling behind his back and through his legs, while indulging in the occasional no-look, behind-the-back pass. The crowd loved it, his team won, and Johnson's career as a hot dog was born.

Johnson did encounter one critic: a league official who threatened to kick him out of the league if he didn't "play fair."

The future Globetrotter got the last laugh. After lighting up the court at Loras College in Iowa, Johnson's death-defying dribbling skills earned him a tryout with Harlem's finest.

The rest, as they say, is history. During his eleven-year tour of duty with the team, Johnson has met both Mikhael Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela, and even received a special blessing from Mother Teresa.

Johnson also received a gold watch from the late King Hussein of Jordan, which stands out prominently in Johnson's mind at present.

"Little fellas. Nice guys," he recalls. "I appreciate anyone I'm taller than."

That easy sense of humor marks the key to the Globetrotters' success, especially in these days of NBA lockouts and NFL prostitution scandals. For his part, Johnson assures us the performance will include no coach choking, ear biting, umpire spitting, cameraman groin kicking or cross dressing. Nope. Just good clean family fun. Honest.

No wonder these guys are insanely popular across the globe. When asked to summarize the Globetrotters' mystique, Johnson nails it accurately enough. "We play good basketball, and we have the ability to go anywhere in the world and entertain people."

Add that and a few slam dunks, and you've got yourself a deal.

The Harlem Globetrotters will bring their on-the-court shenanigans to The Convo at 7 p.m. Tickets are available through The Convo box office for $9, $12 and $15.