Bob Karstens was the first white player to be signed by the Harlem Globetrotters. In 1942, when Goose Tatum, the Trotters star performer, was drafted into the Army, Karstens was signed as his replacement. He helped create many of the Trotters most famous gags including the “Magic Circle” pregame routine, the “yo yo” basketball and the behind the back trick shot. After two seasons on the Globetrotters’ roster, Karstens remained with the organization for another decade as a player and manager of opposition teams.
| BOB KARSTENS | Height: | 6:03 | Weight: | 180 | College: | None | |||||
| Robert Harry Karstens | Born: | Mar 11, 1915 | Died: Dec 31, 2004 | Hometown: | Davenport, Ia. | ||||||
| Brother of Ken Karstens | REGULAR SESON RECORD | ||||||||||
| Year | Team | League | GA | FGM | FTM | FTA | PCT. | AST | PTS | AVG | |
| 1937-38 | Eldridge (Ia) Merchants | Indep | |||||||||
| 1938-39 | Davenport Rockets | Indep | |||||||||
| 1939-40 | Davenport Rockets | Indep | |||||||||
| 1939-40 | House of David | Indep | |||||||||
| 1940-41 | Davenport Rockets | Indep | |||||||||
| 1940-41 | House of David | Indep | |||||||||
| 1941-42 | Davenport Rockets | Indep | |||||||||
| 1942-43 | Harlem Globetrotters | Indep | |||||||||
| 1943-44 | Harlem Globetrotters | Indep | |||||||||
| 1944-45 | House of David | Indep | |||||||||
| 1945-46 | House of David | Indep | |||||||||
| 1946-47 | House of David | Indep | |||||||||
| 1946-47 | Kansas City Stars | Indep | |||||||||
| 1947-48 | New York Celtics | Indep | |||||||||
| 1948-49 | New York Nationals | Indep | |||||||||
| 1949-50 | Boston Whirlwinds | Indep | |||||||||
| 1950-51 | Boston Whirlwinds | Indep | |||||||||
| 1951-52 | Boston Whirlwinds | Indep | |||||||||
| 1952-53 | Boston Whirlwinds | Indep | |||||||||
| 1953-54 | Boston Whirlwinds | Indep | |||||||||
| PLAYOFF RECORD | |||||||||||
| Year | Team | League | GA | FGM | FTM | FTA | PCT. | AST | PTS | AVG | |
| 1941-42 | Davenport Rockets | WBT | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .333 | 9 | 9.0 | ||
| Major League Totals | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .333 | 9 | 9.0 | ||||