Wardell Chambers never used to have this problem.
A 6-foot-2 point guard, Chambers is closely guarding his man when he suddenly loses sight of the basketball. He chases his opponent in a circle, seemingly unaware that the missing object has been stuffed inside the back of his jersey. He hears the crowd roaring with laughter and the piercing sound of the referee's whistle.
Another traveling violation.
Chambers, one of the more gifted and intense competitors ever to play at Severna Park High School and Anne Arundel Community College, has been duped again. And it will continue as long as he remains with the Washington Generals, the foil of the Harlem Globetrotters.
"You have to swallow your pride," said Chambers, who joined the team in November and is on a three-month road trip that includes stops in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Canada.
"We're a part of their show."
How did someone known for his hatred of losing hook up with a team that's never allowed to win?
"My heart is in basketball. I can't give it up," he said. "I told my mother I'm married to basketball."
And he wasn't ready for a divorce.
Chambers, 24, played two seasons at Division II Bloomsburg (Pa.) University, where he twice was named to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team. He then worked one year as a student-assistant coach, and during that time failed tryouts with the West Chester Stallions of the United States Basketball League and the Scranton Miners of the Atlantic Basketball Association.
A glimmer of hope remained, though. Scranton coach Al Clocker recommended Chambers, the last guard to be cut, to a couple of his contacts with the Generals: owner Herman "Red" Klotz, a member of the Baltimore Bullets championship team of 1947-48, and player-coach John Connell.
Chambers began working out for the Generals last August, then joined them for a one-month, five-country tour of South America.
"Of all teams," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "I take basketball serious."
Now, he's learning to laugh at himself.
"No one can believe I'm playing for the Washington Generals, because they know they're the team that's always losing," he said. "I had a problem with that when I first got over there, but I know it's part of my job.
"The best thing we can hope to do is make it close. We have a goal of staying within a certain amount of points every night. Sometimes, they have to do show plays to keep up with us, to get easy points, to make it look like they won on the scoreboard."
The Generals have two eight-player teams that travel all over the world. Chambers is on the squad that, when in the United States, will play mainly west of the Mississippi.
"Maybe it's a blessing," he said. "None of my teammates and friends can see me get embarrassed. I know there would be some ribbing."
Ron Ward, who played with Chambers at Anne Arundel during the 1991-92 season, said: "Wardell was a hard worker, emotional, a team leader. He isn't somebody you'd figure would fit in with the Washington Generals, but I was excited for him when I first heard about it."
Another former teammate at Anne Arundel, Mike Davis, said: "I didn't think he'd last there too long. I was kidding around with him, saying his competitiveness would get to him and he'd have to find a team where he had a chance to win."
There are two Globetrotters teams, and the one Chambers has been losing to includes center Darryl Dawkins, who played 14 seasons in the NBA. Each game contains four 10-minute quarters, plenty of fast breaks and the occasional
embarrassment for each General.
"I'd say 25 percent of it is show and the rest is serious. You have to be in shape and have people who know how to play basketball," he said.
Playing 26 games within a 30-day span, and traveling more than he was accustomed to, began taking its toll on Chambers that first month.
He stayed at his mother's home in Severna Park during much of December, visiting friends and attending games at Anne Arundel. He left Jan. 10 for Fresno, Calif., and was scheduled for only three days off until the tour ends March 19.
"You eventually get used to it," he said. "I was averaging around 10 points and seven assists [while in South America], which is OK for a rookie. I was really playing well early on, then everyone said I hit the wall. I took 13 flights in one month, and that's what might have slowed me down. But I started the last two games and averaged 20-something points."
"He's doing an excellent job," said Connell. "His primary role is bringing the ball up the floor and not turning it over. And he's done that tenfold. He's very athletic, an excellent jumper and he doesn't mind mixing it up.
"He's also very competitive, and he brings a lot of fire into a game."
Only to have it doused whenever the Globetrotters see fit.
"All the players have to adapt to this," Connell said, "and it does get frustrating for them sometimes. But if you don't have a sense of humor, you're in the wrong business. He understands that."
Chambers isn't complaining. He makes $2,000 a month plus expenses, and has formed some close friendships.
He will stay with the Generals for another year, he said, before returning to coaching. But that could change, he said, if an
opportunity arises to play with "a minor-league team in the CBA or maybe one in another country. I'd have to consider that."
For now, the show must go on.
"We practice with the Globetrotters the first couple of days," he said, explaining how the routines take shape. "Then, you get used to the plays and you know when they're coming. You just follow your man wherever he goes."
And sometimes, you wind up with a ball stuffed in your shirt.