While the history of CSUB men's basketball has provided the groundwork for several domestic and international professional playing careers, many would be surprised to learn that it has also provided a slew of talent to the competitively-entertaining side of the game with the World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Donald Johnson, a 2012 graduate of CSUB became the eighth Roadrunner to become a member of the famous star-spangled traveling troupe when he ended his international professional career and signed with the Globetrotters last week.

Johnson said his professional opportunities overseas and most-recently in Canada where he played last season, weren't as prevalent, leading him to make a decision about the next direction for his career.

“Honestly I was done, this season had been kind of slow for me, I thought I was done playing the way it had been going,” Johnson said. “I got a call from an agent I knew from after my time at CSUB and he asked if I was still interested in the Globetrotters.”

Johnson had an opportunity with the Globetrotters after his time at CSUB in 2012 and turned it down. This time he moved forward with the squad and it was a quick turnaround for the Lancaster, California native. He was called on a Thursday, tried out on a Sunday and started with the team the following Wednesday.

Now simply known as “Doc” among Globetrotters fans, Johnson is taking in this whirlwind opportunity.

“It's been hectic, it's been crazy and it's been fun,” Johnson said. “I have already taken pictures with Chris Paul, Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and I've played at Staples Center already, it's surreal, not everybody gets to do that.”

Search the Globetrotters All-Time Roster and you will find seven former CSUB Roadrunners represented including famed 'Runners like Jamal Livingston, Reggie Phillips and Ron Selleaze. The Roadrunners even provided a coach to the Globetrotters as well, former CSUB head coach Henry Clark resigned from CSUB in 2005 to take a position and director of operations and head coach of one of the Globetrotters traveling squads.

Johnson is currently traveling with the “Blue” squad, one of the three Globetrotters teams on the road providing their family-friendly entertainment and basketball skills and antics. Johnson says joining the Globetrotters has also meant a lot of work to get on the same page as his teammates in the organization.

 “It's a lot of plays that I have to learn and the tricks as well to learn how every show goes,” he said. “It's a lot of games so I've been learning on the fly but you have to be professional about it and learn everything, you don't want to be messing up a show, because people pay to see the show.”

Johnson credits one of the Globetrotters superstars, known as 'Big Easy' for helping him during his quick transition.

“He's helped me a lot with the mentality,” Johnson said. “You have to have a fun mentality because it's for the fans, it's for the kids, you can't take it too seriously.”

Johnson says he's not surprised that his career has provided him this opportunity, he's always held the Globetrotters in high regard and always considered them as an option when playing. He also knows that he needs to continue to get better on the court as he matures as a player.

“I'm going to work hard and keep working at it, it's a good thing for me and I like being a part of it, but it is a lot of hard work,” he said. “Everybody knows about the Harlem Globetrotters, it's always been there, even growing up I knew I wanted to play pro basketball but this was something I felt I could do too, it's the same dream.”

CSUB' All-Time Globetrotters List

Tim Barnes

Antonio “Rainmaker” Griffin

Jimmy “Pee Wee” Henry

Jamal Livingston

Andre McCollum

Reggie “The Regulator” Phillips

Henry Clark (Head Coach)