The Harlem Globetrotters, those world famous purveyors of showmanship and basketball, hold an annual draft to refresh their roster with new talent. This year’s edition included a 7’8″ West Virginian, a 12-year old ball-handling wizard, and the world’s greatest footballer.

From the Globetrotters announcement:

Continuing their trend of seeking to acquire the world’s most superb athletes, the Globetrotters drafted Lionel Messi, the greatest ball handler in the soccer world, and star for FC Barcelona and Argentina’s national team. Hailing from Rosario, Argentina, Messi was the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010, and he has won three Champions League titles and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Capturing the Globetrotters’ ambassadorial spirit, Messi has also established his own foundation that supports access to education and health care for at risk children, and in 2010, he was named a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.

The Globetrotters have a history of drafting non-basketballers as “ambassadors.” In 2009, the team drafted USMNT and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard. Howard played basketball in high school and gets to use his hands on the pitch, so he could probably handle himself on the court. Messi is a genius with a ball at his feet, but we’re not sure those skills could translate over to basketball. Plus, he’s tiny.

Here’s an artist’s recreation of what Messi playing basketball might look like:

Then again, if they let him play like Steve Nash in that Chinese ad, he might be amazing. Someone make this happen, and make sure the highlights include the Globetrotters’ theme song.