Overview
- During his general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV tried a Harlem Globetrotters spinning-ball trick with a player's help.
- The ball balanced on his fingertip for a few seconds as the player steadied his hand, drawing cheers from the crowd.
- Associated Press video of the exchange spread widely on social platforms and in news coverage.
- The U.S.-born pontiff from Chicago is an open sports fan with ties to the White Sox, the Bulls, and Villanova basketball.
- The century-old Harlem Globetrotters are a touring exhibition team that once asked the NBA for a franchise and have met popes before.