Bob Karstens, 89; Globetrotters Player, Manager
LA Times
Bob Karstens, the third white player for the Harlem Globetrotters and the only one under a contract, who created many of their signature routines such as the pregame “Magic Circle,” has died. He was 89.
Karstens died Dec. 31 in Redlands of natural causes, the team announced.
Other routines credited to Karstens include the team’s behind-the-back backhand shot; the “yo-yo” basketball; and the “goofball,” a basketball filled with weights that made it bounce erratically.
Born in Davenport, Iowa, Karstens started playing basketball at the age of 6 and became a star player for the Iowa Central Turner Gym and St. Ambrose College in Davenport.
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