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Basketball: Globetrotters' Hall of Famer Haynes dies

Marques Haynes, whose incredible skills dribbling a basketball made him a legendary showman with the Harlem Globetrotters, died Friday of natural causes in Plano, Texas, the team announced. He was 89. Haynes played in more than 12,000 games in almost 100 countries for the Globetrotters during a 46-year career and was the team's first player to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor he received in 1998. His elusiveness with the ball would confuse and confound opponents, epic ballhandling that fit well with the comedic style of the Globetrotters, whom he played for from 1947-1953 and again from 1972-1979. Haynes created his own rival barnstorming squad at one stage in the 1950s after turning down overtures from NBA clubs. He returned to the Globetrotters in the 1970s, serving at times as a player-coach, before retiring in 1992. "Basketball has lost one of its most iconic figures," said Globetrotters chief executive officer Kurt Schneider. "Marques was a pioneer, helping pave the way for people of all races to have opportunities to play basketball and for the sport to explode on a global scale. "His unique and groundbreaking style of play set the tone for modern basketball as we know it. Anyone involved with basketball worldwide is indebted to Marques. He was the consummate Globetrotter." The Globetrotters plan to honor Haynes during their 90th anniversary tour in 2016 and will wear a uniform patch in tribute to him.