NATHIONEL "BIG EAST LOFTON" and HERBERT "FIGHT TIM"E LANG joined the principal of Freemont Elementary school in Alhambra as students there, and across the state tried to break the GUINESS WORLD RECORD for most people simultaneously jumping rope. The current record is 59,000 held by Australian ropers.

The event was a promotion for National Heart Month.

click pic for video

Catch the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS as they swing through Los Angeles, just as the NBA holds its All Star weekend in Dallas. Coming to THE HONDA CENTER(1pm and 7pm) on Saturday February 13th, STAPLES CENTER(1pm and 6pm) on the 14th, and CITIZENS BANK ARENA(1pm) on the 15th of February, the legendary basketball troupe brings their 2010 "MAGICAL MEMORIES" WORLD TOUR to Southern California.

If you love basketball, the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS are a treat, as they demonstrate the high level skills every NBA fan has come to love, and a whole bunch more. After 84 years of entertaining audiences worldwide, these guys have more than a few tricks up there tank-topped sleeves. Reality television fans will recognize EASY LOFTON and FLIGHT TIME LANG from "The Amazing Race", along with dribbler extraordinaire HANDLES FRANKLIN. My favorite is the high-fly act, HI RISE BROWN, to name a few of the "team".

The GLOBETROTTERS over their 84 years of operation have performed in 120 countries before more than 100 million fans. In 2010, they will play in more than 200 cities, giving more than 200 shows, all before the end of the NBA season. These guys are true ironmen!

A handful of GLOBETROTTERS have gone on to play in the NBA, including CLEVELAND CAVALIERS new defensive stopper, JAMARIO MOON. But the majority of GLOBETROTTERS are more magicians than mere basketball players. They do things on the court that will make your jaw drop. They will be coming to LA fresh off the first basketball game on ice, set for February 9th against the Washington Generals at Laker Rink in Central Park, New York.

Even if basketball is not your thing, you'll laugh, you'll scream, and you'll just love the HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS.

For more on the ballers, go to: www.harlemglobetrotters.com

For ticket information go to: www.ticketmaster.com

One usually has to wait until the Australian Open for a classic must see tennis match to officially "start" the tennis season. The intense heat in Melbourne, along with the congruence of the world's best players wanting to start the year out on the right foot in the first grand slam tournament usually conspires to bring tennis fans a remarkable match or two. SERENA'S run the last couple of years, MARAT SAFIN'S stretch in 2004 and 2005, SAMPRAS and AGASSI in 2000.

This year, tennis fans didn't have to wait for the Open to kick off the season with a match for the ages. In Brisbane, the BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL is usually just a warmup for the big event 2 weeks later. But this year the women's final was as good as any grand slam final, with comeback kids KIM CLIJSTERS and JUSTIN HENIN squaring off, both fresh off coming out of "retirement."

HENIN in her first competitive play since leaving the tennis world as the number 1 woman, easily got through her draw beating the numbe 2 seed, NADIA PETROVA in the first round, and eliminating former number 1 in the world, ANA IVANOVIC in the semi0finals to set up her 23rd match against KIM CLIJSTERS.

CLIJSTERS, in her 5th tournament of her comeback, defeated ALICIA MOLIK, LUCIE SAFAROVA and ANDREA PETKOVIC to get to the finals. She ended the season ranked 15th, but certainly on a rise back into the top 5 with the form she showed winning the US OPEN in September. She didn't qualify for the season ending championships in Doha in November, won by SEWRENA WILLIAMS over VENUS WILLIAMS, but there is little doubt that given a full year of play, CLIJSTERS can challenge for the top spot in 2010.

And this weekend in Brisbane only solidified that view.

CLIJSTERS jumped out on HENIN 6-3 and 4-1 in the second set, and it looked to be over. She was hitting steady, powerful deep shots, running JUSTIN side to side in controlling the match. HENIN had won 12 of their previous 22 matches, dating back to when the girls were 14.

But the 7-time grand slam champion predicted she had the skills and the knowledge to be an even better player in a press conference in December, and she woke up in this match, showing precisely that. HENIN, with her distinctive one-handed backhand, won 8 straight games to even the match at a set apiece, and take a commanding lead in the decisive set, 3-0.

CLIJSTERS looked defeated.

But she kept hitting her deep, strong shots, and got back into the set, evening the score at 3-3 with a scintillating point that brought both women to the net with impossible drop shot angles in the point of the tournament, won by CLIJSTERS when HENIN hit a volley wide. It was classic tennis, and was the first time either woman flashed a smile, both acknowledging just how impossible the point was, and confirming just how much fun they were having competing on such a high level again.

It was amazing!

And that was just the beginning of the drama.

HENIN kept the pressure on winning the next 2 games, once again, leaving CLIJSTERS looking finished. KIM broke serve to stay in the match at 4-5, but face 2 match points on her serve, which she somehow saved. HENIN, in her heyday at number 1 rarely missed out on those opportunities. Perhaps her killer instinct needs some dusting off, but not much else. She looked like she never missed a day from the tour. She is a lean, mean, fighting machine. The HENIN we all remember.

But CLIJSTERS wasn't intimidated. She powered on, evening the match at 5-5, only to see HENIN win her service game easily. KIM forced the match into a tiebreak, where she quickly went up 3-0, and had 3 match points at 6-3.

HENIN won all 3 points evening the match. Unbelievable! And this is the first tournament of the year!

It was then that reality set in. JUSTIN double faulted. If she had a weakness when she was the leader of the women's tour, you could say it was her serve. You couldn't say it very loud, but it wasn't the strongest part of her game. And it's still not. That may change in the weeks to come, but for now it was her downfall. KIM won the next point, giving her the BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL Championship, in a thoroughly enjoyable match, and an indication of just how entertaining the women's tour might be with these two in the mix.

In a gesture befitting her perfectly delightful character, KIM CLIJSTERS donated her winnings, $37,000 to Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital. KIM CLIJSTERS, just one of the fascinating women to watch, on this year's tennis circuit, now playing, and coming to a tournament near you.

JUSTIN HENIN made a triumphant return to the tennis world, with her first victory in more than 18 months, winning 7-5, 7-5 over NADIA PETROVA in the first round of the Brisbane International. The tournament is a warmup for the AUSTRALIAN OPEN which begins January 18th. HENIN last won that tournament in 2004, and was granted a wildcard into the tournament this year.

HENIN announced her return to the tour in September, no doubt after watching KIM CLIJSTERS win the US OPEN in her comeback to the tour after having a daughter. In December JUSTIN told the media in a press conference in Belgium that she has her sights set even higher than her first go-round on the tour, a time which saw her win 7 grand slam titles, and inhabit the top spot in the world for 100 weeks.

"I believe I can be a better player; I believe I can use my experience more than in the past...I know myself much better and that's the most important thing. I'm 27 now. I just want to live my second career differently to how I did in the past. I feel I grew up."

If HENIN is more mature, and better, then the women's tour has got a problem. CLIJSTERS is back strong; SERENA WILLIAMS is hungry again; VENUS doesn't look ready to retire; and there is a group of girls that want their turn at the top, including CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, VICTORIA AZARENKA and AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA who finished the year 4th, 7th and 10th respectively.

Of course there is number 2 DINARA SAFINA who is scratching at the door of her first slam, and Russians SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA and ELENA DEMENTIEVA who finished 3rd and 5th respectively.

On the men's side, 2009 saw the unthinkable, the fall of the king, ROGER FEDERER, losing the year's first major to RAFAEL NADAL in a tearful display of just how hard the fall from number 1 was.
NADAL continued his run in Australia with a win in Indian Wells over NOVAK DJOKOVIC, with FEDERER left to spectate. In Miami FEDERER threw a tantrum, breaking and throwing a racket, on his rapid descent into the middle ground of the men's field.

But FEDERER would not stay down long. He suffered another defeat to NADAL in the final of the Masters in Monte Carlo before rising dramatically at the French Open. NADAL was ousted from his signature tournament by Swedish upstart ROBEIN SODERLING, taking out the world's number 1 in the 4th round. That left the door open for ROGER to win his first ever French Open, and he followed that up with perhaps the year's best match, a 5-set 16-14 win over ANDY RODDICK.

With the stage set for RODDICK to exact revenge on ROGER on his home turf in New York, JAUN MARTIN DEL POTRO stepped up to break FEDERER'S 40-match winning streak, gaining his first grand slam championship, after his startling rise to the world's stage just the year before during hard court season.

To put a fitting touch on a topsy-turvy year, NICKOLAY DAVYDENKO bested FEDERER, NADAL and DEL POTRO to win the ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS from London, leaving him 6th for the year, behind DEL POTRO, ANDY MURRAY who is poised for a breakthrough, DJOKOVIC, steady at number 3, NADAL and the king back in his throne, ROGER FEDERER.

Bring on 2010, the storylines couldn't be better.

The X GAMES got underway with BEHIND THE BIG AIR BENEFIT Wednesday night at Staples center. The exclusive party was a fundraiser for THE V FOUNDATION and STAPLES CENTER FOUNDATION on the City View Terrace at Staples. Party-goers had an opportunity to bid on customized skate decks, and a variety of other donated items at a silent auction, while they feasted on sliders, mini hot dogs, shrimp, sushi and other buffet delicacies.

The highlight of the event, hosted by ESPN'S DANA JACOBSON, was a bird's eye view of the Big Air practice session, where skateboaders plummeted down a ramp set up at the very top of Staples and soared through the air of the arena trying to land on a second ramp while performing tricks in the air.

THE V FOUNDATION for cancer research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late basketball caoch JIM VALVANO. Since 1993 it has raised more than $60 million for cancer research grants nationwide. For more info go to: www.jimmyv.org.

THE STAPLES CENTER FOUNDATION has established a number of partnerships in the Los Angeles community to assist charities in raising funds and awareness for their causes. For more info go to: www.staplescenterfoundation.com

watch the interview with Garcelle Beauvais Nilon

watch the interview with Garcelle Beauvais Nilon