Photo by Brett Meister
Corey Law isn’t just another Harlem Globetrotter. He’s the six-year veteran who has four Guinness World records for long-distance and trick shots. Also known as Thunder Law, he holds the record for highest upward basketball shot, which he made into a rim suspended more than 50 feet above ground, backwards. He also holds records for farthest basketball shot made while sitting, farthest shot from under a leg and longest shot made backwards. Originally from Chesapeake, he’s excited to be returning with his teammates on Dec. 29 at the Richmond Coliseum. Law, 28, describes the behind-the-scenes efforts that go into being a Globetrotter and what their theme, “Sweet Georgia Brown,” means to him.
Richmond magazine: What’s the secret to throwing the ball so far?
Thunder Law: Well, I can’t give you my secret, because then everyone will start doing it, and then I’ll probably lose my job and then have to go try out for the NBA. I’m just kidding. [Laughs]
RM: Does a lot of practice go into that?
Law: Definitely a great deal of practice. You see a lot of trick shots … but mine takes a lot of strength and effort. A lot of training to be able to shoot those shots because you’re actually shooting against gravity when you shoot upwards or distance.
RM: I know a lot of physical effort goes into being a Globetrotter, but how do you perform on those days that you don’t feel 100 percent mentally?
Law: That’s actually a great question, because a lot of people don’t know we actually do sometimes anywhere between seven and 14 shows a week. ... Sometimes we have two shows a day. The first one will be exciting, and I’ll feel good physically. But the second show comes around, and they don’t care what happened the first show. They don’t care about how tired you are, they just know they want to come see greatness with the Globetrotters and have a good time with their family. We keep that in our mind, and we always want to leave a good impression on our fans. So, we put how we feel aside to make the best for our fans.
RM: Do you ever get tired of the song “Sweet Georgia Brown”?
Law: No, that’s the No. 1 played song on my iPod. Nah, I’m just kidding. You know Superman has his theme song when it’s time to save the day. When I hear that song, it just makes me feel like I can take over the world. A lot of my teammates feel the same way.
RM: What does it mean to you to be returning to Virginia?
Law: Anytime I get the chance to come back to my home state and play, it’s always a great feeling. Playing in Virginia means a lot because they knew me before I was Thunder, they just knew me as a little small kid from Chesapeake that was just trying to go to college on a free scholarship, and it means a lot more to be playing in front of family and friends because I don’t get to see them as much, so it definitely means a lot to me.