The game is...Clownball
Something new every night!
“We call it Clownball,” says manager Herb Scaife.
Probably no other word in the language better describes the type of basketball played by the Harlem Crowns. It is true they go through set gags and regular comic routines, but every game is different.
Actually there's something new every night.
Fans watching the Harlem Crowns game after game and through the years often ask, “How can they be so funny? Where do they get all the gags?”
Well, the Harlem Crowns are the masters of the ad lib. They take advantage of every situation.

You never know when a new “Clownball” gag is about to be born.  When manager Herb Scaife brings his team together each year for practice before the season's opener, he has a great assortment of talent. There are the veterans, the one-year men, and of course, the rookies: new players trying out for the team. 
First, a man must have outstanding basketball ability. Then, he looks for the individual player's flair for comedy and showmanship.
The Crowns keep a running line of chatter going through a game and if the fans listen as well as watch, there's many a verbal rib tickler.