Meet Fatima ‘TNT’ Lister, a former Temple hooper and 15-year Harlem Globetrotter fixture
Lister learned the importance of community by her former coach Dawn Staley. In 2011, she became the first women in 18 years to play on the Harlem Globetrotters, and has since impacted countless lives.
The Harlem Globetrotters are a can’t-miss attraction whenever they are in town. With their flashy and fun playstyle, along with in-game entertainment, they get fans involved and bring out plenty of laughs.
The Globetrotters consist of former high school and college players who adjusted their game to benefit the fan experience. The group includes a mix of men and women, but it wasn’t always that way.
From 1993-2010, the Globetrotters had no women on the court. That changed in 2011, when Fatima “TNT” Lister joined the team. Lister played at Temple from 2005-07 — she played her first two years of college ball at the University of New Mexico. After playing a few years overseas, Lister tried out for the Globetrotters and earned a contract with the world-famous basketball team.
Lister adopted the nickname “TNT” from her teammates because of her explosive play and flashy dribbling. Fifteen years later, Lister still dons the jersey and has paved the way for other women to play for the Globetrotters.
“The fact that I get to kind of open that door back up for women to have this experience and I get to be that representation for little girls, you can tell kids things, but seeing is believing for kids,” Lister said. “So, the fact that they can see me out there holding my own and I get a chance to interact with them and things like that. That’s been the highlight for me.”
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Globetrotters, and they will make appearances at the Liacouras Center on Feb. 19 and Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 1. While Lister won’t be in Philadelphia as she is with the international squad, the city still holds a special place.
The streetball and flashy style that embodies the Globetrotters has always been in Lister’s game. Growing up, the Colorado Springs native loved watching AND1 Mixtapes and 76ers legend Allen Iverson’s signature crossover.
But Lister’s game went beyond flashy dribbling. She played college basketball at New Mexico for two years, before transferring to Temple, where she learned under former head coach Dawn Staley.
“It was a privilege to be able to pick her brain one-on-one,” Lister said. “Players dream of that, and as a basketball player, she’s done everything that I wanted to do. But I also got to see that she was very much part of the community. She did a really good job of taking care of her family and just juggling all of those things. It kind of inspired me to want to give back myself.”
It was one of the main reasons Lister signed a contract with the Globetrotters; they are heavily involved in the community, especially with children.
Lister’s favorite events are when the Globetrotters can bring a smile to a kid’s face who is going through a trying time.
Lister also enjoys bringing families together to make memories by watching her do what she loves — playing basketball. Each time Lister and the Globetrotters bring together thousands of fans it’s special.
“This has been an opportunity for me to do something that I’ve been in love with doing in terms of community service, but just on a bigger platform,” Lister said. “I’m really thankful to be a part of this and know how much we reach people, not just domestically but globally.”
While the Globetrotters’ on-court product may look fun and goofy, the group puts in hours of work to provide the best entertainment.
The Globetrotters are split into three squads, which allows them to play between 250-280 games at multiple venues each year. Practices last two and a half hours, and it’s not just tricks they are working on, the Globetrotters are doing regular basketball drills.
Most of the in-game skits or dazzling moves are improv, and they try to cater certain activities or fun moments to the city they are playing in.
Lister thought she would play just three seasons in the red, white, and blue, but instead has become a 15-year staple on the team. The experience continues to reap rewards, especially since her daughter, Kali, is old enough to watch her mom.
“She’s 7 now and she knows she doesn’t have the regular mom, and she loves it,” Lister said.”She loves coming to the games. I always bring her to the court. My teammates are like her uncles and they always make sure she has a good time. It’s been cool for her to see that.”
Lister has been an inspiration for other women to join the Globetrotters. She says her involvement serves “a purpose that’s bigger than me.”
“We all have our personal goals,” she added. “But the way I’ve been able to touch other people’s lives and use this thing that I have loved since I was 12 years old — I’ve probably performed in front of over 100,000 people. I don’t know everyone that I impacted, but I know the impact is bigger than even my dreams.”