The Harlem Globetrotters will be in town on April 10 and to promote the event one player came to Montreal to speak about bullying.
Julian 'Zeus' McLurkin is a 28-year-old rookie with the team, and on Monday the charismatic player spoke to children at Westmount's Roslyn Elementary.
Standing 6'8", McLurkin said he was bullied as a child before he had a growth spurt in high school, with one girl in particular who used to throw things at him.
He also said that when he first started playing basketball, he was told he didn't have enough of a mean streak to be competitive.
"All you want to do is smile and dunk," the coach would say, insisting that he change, but McLurkin realized it was important to be true to himself and remain the happy-go-lucky person he is.
"I tell kids be who you are because there's a place for you. I had no idea that the Globetrotters would one day be that place where I was going to go," said McLurkin.
He also gets paid to smile and dunk.
"It's crazy that people call this a job. I'm having a lot of fun just because it's very fulfilling," said McLurkin.
"Back at home I'm a youth minister at my church, so I'm able to bore into youth. It just so happens that my job promotes the same kind of principles that I do when I'm off of the court."
