Video Resurfaces Of Illini Assistant Orlando Antigua's Days As A Harlem Globetrotter

Zachary Draves | Jul 17, 2024

University of Kentucky assistant men's basketball coach Orlando Antigua helped Gage Durrett, 9, spin a basketball on his finger while visiting Pillar's Crestwood Station day program. June 8, 2021 Aj4t3915 / Pat McDonogh / Courier Journal via Imagn

Illinois associate coach Orlando "Hurricane" Antigua has quite the basketball pedigree.

He has a 21-year long career as a coach, top-notch recruiter, and one of the best frontcourt player development mentors.

He also at one point was part of the famed Harlem Globetrotters.

An old video from 2000 has resurfaced of him appearing on the Today Show alongside teammates Curley "Boo" Johnson and Alex "The Big Ticket" Sanders. They joined host Al Roker to promote their then 75th anniversary.

They gave the fans at Rockefeller Plaza the usual Globetrotter flare. They even got Roker to spin the ball on his finger at the end.

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995, Antigua signed with the Globetrotters, becoming the first player of Latin descent to join the team since Bob Karstens in 1942.

He would go onto travel the world for seven years (1995-2002). Along the way, he would meet the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and Nelson Mandela.

Obviously someone saw something in Antigua in 1995. Now he is in a position to do the same for others.

Since joining the Illini in 2017, Antigua has amassed a solid track record of success as a recruiter.

He helped the Illini land several top-100 recruits and the directed the development of three frontcourt players (Kofi Cockburn, Giorgi Bezhanishvili, and Leron Black) to All-Big Ten Honors.

Antigua was instrumental behind Illinois landing Will Riley, Tomislav Ivisic, and others for the upcoming season.

He has a worldly background that is suited to finding the best talent.

Zachary Draves is a contributor to IlliniNow. He can be reached at zdraves1013@gmail.com and on Instagram @zdraves0633.