At 6-foot-6, David Paul is hard to miss. But the Harlem Wizards basketball player’s personality is even bigger, as Panther Valley Elementary students got to see on Thursday.

“He got down to their level in order to have fun and be goofy and silly. That’s what the kids love” said Stefanie Palina, a Panther Valley Elementary School kindergarten teacher and PTO president.

Paul enthralled Panther Valley students during assemblies to build excitement for the Wizards upcoming show at Panther Valley Intermediate School.

At 7 p.m. on Nov. 18, the Wizards will play against a team of Panther Valley teachers and help raise money for the Panther Valley Elementary PTO. The public is invited to attend the game.

If the game is anything like the assembly, it will be a high-energy affair. The students were thrilled as Paul told jokes and danced to Disney songs as the students sang every word.

He also gave students the thrill of spinning a basketball, just like the Wizards do.

Paul, who has been a Wizard for more than a decade, said he loves the excitement of playing in front of crowds who are having a good time.

“The kids are super excited, and that’s why I love doing this job — just putting smiles on people’s faces all over the world,” Paul said.

The Panther Valley Elementary PTO chose to hold the event at the intermediate school, because it holds up to 1,000 people, and they’re hoping to sell that many tickets.

Instead of selling candy or wrapping paper, the organization is rallying around the game as their main fundraiser for the year.

The PTO funds field trips, assemblies and fun day events, which the district does not cover.

“That’s why it’s so important that we have as many people as we can come out and share this community celebration,” Palina said.

Teachers from all three Panther Valley schools are planning to participate in the game.

Getting the teachers involved in the game brings another level of excitement when the Wizards play. Several Panther Valley faculty members, including elementary school Principal Robert Palazzo, have already committed to play in the game. During the assembly, Paul was able to recruit even more.

Paul said if the teachers can stand, smile and occasionally walk, they’ll be perfect to play in a Harlem Wizards game.

“The teachers who are really enjoying it, those are the most successful games, because the kids are super pumped to see their teachers out there with us,” he said.

Kindergarten teacher Melissa Gilbert said she’s excited to support the PTO, because they raise money for projects and events for her class. She said the excitement level around the game was high even before Peters came.

“It’s gonna be a fun event for the kids to see their teachers outside of school,” she said.