Mo'ne Davis may have celebrated her 14th birthday on Wednesday, but on Tuesday she received a pretty unique gift courtesy of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters — she was drafted onto the team.
"When we conduct our draft, we look for outstanding athletes from different sports all over the world that exemplify the Globetrotters' efforts to provide service, smiles and sportsmanship globally," Sweet Lou Dunbar, the Globetrotters' director of player personnel, said in a statement.
Davis, who shot to fame last summer as the first female to pitch a two-hit shutout, certainly checks off every requirement on that list. She's been lauded by others before, including Sports Illustrated, which put her on its cover, as well as by star athletes Yasiel Puig and Steph Curry, both of whom asked her for her autograph when they met her.
Along with Davis, the Globetrotters also drafted Alex Morgan, a star striker on the U.S. women's national soccer team, which is currently competing in the knockout rounds of the Women's World Cup.
While both Davis and Morgan found success with other sports, both have experience on the basketball court. In fact, Davis said she plans to make a career of the sport, noting that she hopes to land a spot playing NCAA ball at Connecticut, and then go onto a professional career in the WNBA.
Morgan, 25, meanwhile, has no such plans, but the Globetrotters did note "basketball was one of many sports Morgan played while growing up."
Trick-shot artists Dude Perfect, who once played an exhibition game with the team, might be the only draftees whose name seem less ceremonious and more like an actual invite to join the team. Those guys might even be able to teach the Globetrotters a thing or two, judging from this video.
LaQuavius Cotton, the 2015 college slam dunk champion, Larry Nance Jr., who helped bring Wyoming to the 2015 NCAA tournament, and Kylie Huerta, a point guard at Hawaii Pacific University, also made the list.
"This group of individuals embodies the skill, athleticism and showmanship it takes to be a Harlem Globetrotter," Dunbar said.
Marissa Payne writes for The Early Lead, a fast-breaking sports blog, where she focuses on what she calls the "cultural anthropological" side of sports, aka "mostly the fun stuff." She is also an avid WWE fan.
