View source for Dick Barnett

{{Short description|American basketball player (1936–2025)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Dick Barnett
| image = Dick Barnett.jpeg
| width = 
| caption = 
| career_position = [[Shooting guard]]
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 190
| league = 
| team = 
| career_number = 5, 12
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|10|02}}
| birth_place = [[Gary, Indiana]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|4|27|1936|10|02}}
| death_place = [[Largo, Florida]], U.S.
| high_school = [[Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy|Theodore Roosevelt]] (Gary, Indiana)
| college = [[Tennessee State Tigers men's basketball|Tennessee State]] (1955–1959)
| draft_year = 1959
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 4
| draft_team = [[Syracuse Nationals]]
| career_start = 1959
| career_end = 1973
| years1 = {{nbay|1959|start}}–{{nbay|1960|end}}
| team1 = [[Syracuse Nationals]]
| years2 = 1961–1962
| team2 = [[Cleveland Pipers]]
| years3 = {{nbay|1962|start}}–{{nbay|1964|end}}
| team3 = [[Los Angeles Lakers]]
| years4 = {{nbay|1965|start}}–{{nbay|1973|start}}
| team4 = [[New York Knicks]]
| highlights = * 2× [[List of NBA champions|NBA champion]] ([[1970 NBA Finals|1970]], [[1973 NBA Finals|1973]])
* [[List of NBA All-Stars|NBA All-Star]] ({{nasg|1968}})
* [[American Basketball League (1961–1963)|ABL champion]] (1962)
* [[American Basketball League (1961–63)|All-ABL]] First Team (1962)
* No. 12 [[New York Knicks#Retired numbers|retired by New York Knicks]]
* 3× [[NAIA men's basketball championship|NAIA champion]] (1957–1959)
* 3× [[Associated Press|AP]] Little College [[All-American]] (1957–1959)
* 2× [[United Press International|UPI]] Little College All-American (1958, 1959)
* 2× [[Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award|NAIA tournament MVP]] ([[1958 NAIA basketball tournament|1958]], [[1959 NAIA basketball tournament|1959]])
| HOF_player = dick-barnett
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2007
| stats_league = NBA
| stat1label = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value = 15,358 (15.8 ppg)
| stat2label = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value = 2,812 (2.9 rpg)
| stat3label = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value = 2,729 (2.8 apg)
| nbanew = 76107
}}

'''Richard Barnett''' (October 2, 1936 – April 27, 2025) was an American professional basketball player who was a [[shooting guard]] in the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) for the [[Syracuse Nationals]], [[Los Angeles Lakers]], and [[New York Knicks]]. He won two [[NBA championships]] with the Knicks. Barnett was also a member of the [[Cleveland Pipers]] in the [[American Basketball League (1961–62)|American Basketball League]]. He played [[college basketball]] for the [[Tennessee State Tigers basketball|Tennessee A&I State Tigers]]. Barnett was inducted into the [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-fame-class-of-2024 |title=Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 13 inductees for Class of 2024 |date=April 6, 2024 |website=NBA.com |accessdate=April 6, 2024}}</ref>

==Early years, family and education==
Barnett was born in [[Gary, Indiana]], on October 2, 1936 <ref name = Goldstein>{{cite news |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/sports/basketball/dick-barnett-dead.html| title = Dick Barnett, Champion Knick With a Singular Jump Shot, Dies at 88|last = Goldstein|first = Richard|date = April 27, 2025|accessdate = April 27, 2025|newspaper = [[The New York Times]]|url-access = limited}}</ref> and later attended [[Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy|Theodore Roosevelt High School]]. His father was a steel worker, and his mother worked at a candy store.<ref name = Goldstein /> As a youth, Dick Barnett found work at a steel mill as well as making deliveries.<ref name= knack>{{cite magazine| url= https://vault.si.com/vault/1966/01/17/a-new-knick-with-a-knack |last= Leggett| first= William| title= A New Knick With A Knack| magazine= Sports Illustrated| date= January 17, 1966| access-date= April 30, 2025}}</ref>

He became one of the best basketball players in the state of Indiana. His senior year, he led his team to the state basketball championship, which was the first final where two predominantly [[African American]] basketball squads faced each other. The team lost to [[Crispus Attucks High School]] and their future NBA star [[Oscar Robertson]]. He received All-state honors.

Barnett attended [[Tennessee A&I State College]] (now Tennessee State University), a historically black school.<ref name = Goldstein /> He did not graduate from there,<ref name = Goldstein /> but later he earned his bachelor's degree from [[Cal Poly Pomona]].<ref name= "official bio">{{cite web| url= http://drdickbarnett.com/bio/| title= Dr. Dick Barnett Biography| website= drdickbarnett.com | publisher= Richard Barnett| date= | access-date= April 29, 2025 }}</ref> Years later, he earned an MBA from [[New York University]] and then a PhD in education from [[Fordham University]].<ref name = Goldstein />

==College athletic career==
Barnett accepted a basketball scholarship from [[Tennessee A&I State College]] (now Tennessee State University), to play under coach [[John McLendon]].<ref name = Goldstein/> As a freshman, he was given the nickname "Dick the Skull". He was known for his trademark "question mark" jump shot, with an unusual technique of kicking his legs back<ref name= knack /> as he released the ball with his left hand, taunting the defenders by saying, "Too late; Fall back baby".<ref name= "LAT bio">{{cite web| url=http://projects.latimes.com/lakers/player/dick-barnett/| title=Dick Barnett bio| website=[[Los Angeles Times]]| access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref>

He became a three-time [[Associated Press]] Little College [[All-American]], helping the [[Tennessee State Tigers basketball|Tigers]] to a 36-game winning streak and three consecutive [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]] (NAIA) national championships. He received back-to-back [[Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player Award|most valuable player]] honors in the [[1958 NAIA basketball tournament|1958]] and [[1959 NAIA basketball tournament|1959 NAIA tournaments]].<ref name=tshf>{{cite web |url=http://tshf.net/halloffame/barnett-dr-richard/ |title=Tennessee Sports HOF inductee Dick Barnett| website= TSHF.net| publisher= Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=November 3, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109204416/http://tshf.net/inductees/2005Barnett.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2011}} Northwest Indiana native Dick Barnett article at LakeNet website</ref> Tennessee A&I became the first [[historically black college]] to win an integrated men's basketball title.<ref name=tshf/><ref>{{cite web|title=Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 13 inductees for Class of 2024|date=April 6, 2024 |website= NBA.com| url=https://www.nba.com/news/hall-of-fame-class-of-2024|access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref>

Barnett graduated as the school's All-time scorer with 3,209 points for a 23.6 average in 136 games, while also recording 1,571 career rebounds for an 11.6 average, a career shooting percentage of 44.8 and 80.0 from the free throw line.

In 1986, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. In 1990, the school retired his No. 12 Jersey. In 1993, he was inducted into the [[Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame]]. In 2005, he was inducted into the [[Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame]]. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, along with his coach [[John McLendon]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.ibcsports.com/basketball/2006-07/tenn/tsus_dick_barnett_and_john_mclen.htm| title=Dick Barnett and coach John Mclendon inductee selections for College Basketball HO| website= ibcsports.com| date=April 2, 2007| access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref> In 2012, he was named to the NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team. In 2016, he was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news |title= Dick Barnett |url=https://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/dickbarnett |work= smallcollegebasketball.com| publisher= Small College Basketball Hall of Fame |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref> In 2019, the 1957–59 Tennessee A&I Tigers men's basketball team was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

==Professional basketball career==

===Syracuse Nationals===
Barnett was selected by the [[Syracuse Nationals]] (now the [[Philadelphia 76ers]]) in the first round (4th overall) of the [[1959 NBA draft]]. He was used in a sixth man role behind guards [[Larry Costello]] and [[Hal Greer]].<ref name= knack /> As a rookie, he averaged 12.4 points per game. In the 1960–61 season, he scored 16.9 points, which ranked seventh among the league's backcourt players.

===Cleveland Pipers===
In 1961, he signed with the [[Cleveland Pipers]] of the [[American Basketball League (1961–62)|American Basketball League]] (ABL), which were owned by [[George Steinbrenner]] (the future owner of the [[New York Yankees]]) and coached by [[John McLendon]]. He was a part of the 1961–62 ABL Championship team. 

On December 21, 1961, the Nationals won a court order barring him from playing that season in the rival American Basketball League.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pipers Lose Dick Barnett |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/88937556/ |work= [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| via= Newspapers.com |date=December 22, 1961 |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref>

===Los Angeles Lakers===
On September 7, 1962, the [[Syracuse Nationals]] sold his player rights to the [[Los Angeles Lakers]], for $35,000,<ref name= knack /> which at the time was the highest player-for-money transaction in league history.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lakers Swing Record Deal to Get Barnett |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34290558/the-los-angeles-times/ |work=Los Angeles Times| via= Newspapers.com  |date=September 8, 1962 |access-date= February 14, 2021}}</ref> He was also used in a sixth man role with the Lakers, behind [[Elgin Baylor]] and [[Jerry West]]. He helped the team win the Western Division title after West missed 27 games with a leg injury.

Famous Laker announcer [[Chick Hearn]] nicknamed him "Fall Back Baby". He averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his three seasons with the team.

===New York Knicks===
On October 14, 1965, Barnett was traded to the [[New York Knicks]] in exchange for [[Bob Boozer]] and cash considerations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Knicks Acquire Dick Barnett In Trade As Boozer Goes To Los Angeles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/491309328/ |work=The Record | via= Newspapers.com |date= October 15, 1965 |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref> In his first season, he led the team in scoring with a 23.1 average. In 1968, he made his only [[1968 NBA All-Star Game|All-Star appearance]].

In 1970, he helped the Knicks beat the Lakers for the NBA title. In 1973, he contributed to the team winning a second championship against the Lakers. He was released on October 23, 1973.<ref>{{cite news |title=Transactions |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/232778606/ |work= [[Fort Lauderdale News]]| via= Newspapers.com  |date=October 24, 1973 |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref> He scored 15,358 regular season points in his career. In 1990, the Knicks retired his No. 12 jersey in the rafters of [[Madison Square Garden]].

==Career after athletics==
Barnett taught Sports Management at [[St. John's University, New York|St. John's University]] in [[New York City]] from 2003<ref name= Fordham-obit>{{cite web| url= https://now.fordham.edu/fordham-magazine/dick-barnett-knicks-legend-educator-and-fordham-grad-dies-at-88/| title= Dick Barnett, Knicks Legend, Educator, and Fordham Grad, Dies at 88| first= Adam| last= Kaufman |website= fordham.edu| publisher= Fordham University| date= April 29, 2025| access-date= April 29, 2025}}</ref> to 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lakenetnwi.net/member/notable/html/Dick%20Barnett.htm |title= Dick Barnett | website= lakenetwi.net| publisher= LakeNet| place= Indiana |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110723184426/http://www.lakenetnwi.net/member/notable/html/Dick%20Barnett.htm |archive-date= July 23, 2011 |access-date= November 3, 2020}}</ref>

==In the media==
Barnett was the subject of the 2022 documentary film ''The Dream Whisperer'' which chronicles the [[Tennessee A&I Tigers basketball|Tennessee A&I Tigers]] teams that won three NAIA basketball championships between 1957 and 1959.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2022-04-26/lakers-great-dick-barnett|title=Dick Barnett wouldn't let basketball's most overlooked three-peat be lost to history|last1=Dwyre|first1=Bill|work= Los Angeles Times |date=April 26, 2022|accessdate=April 27, 2022}}</ref>

== NBA career statistics ==
{{NBA player statistics legend|champion=y|leader=y}}

=== Regular season ===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1959}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1959–60 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| 57 || – || 21.7 || .412 || – || .711 || 2.7 || 2.8 || – || – || 12.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1960}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1960–61 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
| 78 || – || 26.5 || .452 || – || .712 || 3.6 || 2.8 || – || – || 16.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1962}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|80* || – || 31.8 || .471 || – || '''.815''' || 3.0 || 2.8 || – || – || 18.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1963}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
| 78 || – || 33.6 || .452 || – || .773 || 3.2 || 3.1 || – || – || 18.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1964}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
| 74 || – || 27.4 || .413 || – || .799 || 2.7 || 2.1 || – || – || 13.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1965}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1965–66 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 79 || – || 34.5 || .469 || – || .772 || '''4.1''' || 3.5 || – || – || '''23.1'''
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1966}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1966–67 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 67 || – || 29.4 || .478 || – || .783 || 3.4 || 2.4 || – || – || 17.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1967}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 81 || – || 30.7 || '''.482''' || – || .780 || 2.9 || 3.0 || – || – || 18.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1968}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1968–69 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| '''82''' || – || '''36.0''' || .463 || – || .774 || 3.1 || 3.5 || – || – || 17.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| {{Nbay|1969}}†
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1969–70 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| style="background:#cfecec;"|'''82'''* || – || 33.8 || .475 || – || .714 || 2.7 || '''3.6''' || – || – || 14.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1970}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1970–71 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| '''82''' || – || 34.7 || .456 || – || .694 || 2.9 || 2.7 || – || – || 15.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|{{Nbay|1971}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 79 || – || 28.6 || .437 || – || .753 || 1.9 || 2.5 || – || – || 12.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| {{Nbay|1972}}†
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 51 || – || 10.1 || .389 || – || .533 || 0.8 || 1.0 || – || – || 3.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| {{Nbay|1973}}
| style="text-align:left;"|[[1973–74 New York Knicks season|New York]]
| 5 || – || 11.6 || .385 || – || .667 || 0.8 || 1.2 || '''0.2''' || '''0.0''' || 4.4
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 971 || – || 29.8 || .456 || – || .761 || 2.9 || 2.8 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 15.8
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| All-Star
| 1 || 0 || 22.0 || .583 || – || .500 || 0.0 || 1.0 || – || – || 15.0
{{S-end}}

=== Playoffs ===
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1960 NBA playoffs|1960]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1959–60 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
|3||–||21.3||.316||–||'''.857'''||'''4.7'''||1.3||–||–||10.0
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1961 NBA playoffs|1961]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1960–61 Syracuse Nationals season|Syracuse]]
|8||–||28.3||.438||–||.722||4.5||1.5||–||–||15.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963 NBA playoffs|1963]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1962–63 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
|13||–||28.5||.470||–||.794||2.9||1.6||–||–||16.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964 NBA playoffs|1964]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1963–64 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
|5||–||30.8||.404||–||.844||1.6||3.4||–||–||13.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1965 NBA playoffs|1965]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1964–65 Los Angeles Lakers season|L.A. Lakers]]
|10||–||28.7||.480||–||.795||3.0||3.3||–||–||17.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1968 NBA playoffs|1968]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1967–68 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|6||–||35.2||'''.521'''||–||.724||4.5||'''3.5'''||–||–||'''23.8'''
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1969 NBA playoffs|1969]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1968–69 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|10||–||'''40.2'''||.399||–||.685||3.5||2.7||–||–||16.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|[[1970 NBA playoffs|1970]]†
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1969–70 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|'''19'''||–||37.6||.468||–||.776||2.1||3.4||–||–||16.9
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1971 NBA playoffs|1971]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1970–71 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|12||–||37.9||.477||–||.698||3.2||3.0||–||–||19.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972 NBA playoffs|1972]]
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1971–72 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|12||–||10.9||.469||–||.417||0.7||0.8||–||–||4.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"|[[1973 NBA playoffs|1973]]†
|style="text-align:left;"|[[1972–73 New York Knicks season|New York]]
|4||–||4.3||.500||–||–||0.0||0.5||–||–||1.5
|-
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 102 || – || 29.7 || .458 || – || .748 || 2.7 || 2.4 || – || – || 15.1
{{S-end}}

==Personal life and death==
{{expand-section| date= April 2025}}
Barnett was known for his sharp wit,<ref name= "LAT bio" /> being a snappy dresser, and his love of card playing, especially poker.<ref name= knack />

On April 27, 2025, it was announced that Barnett had died overnight in his sleep in a [[senior living]] center in [[Largo, Florida]], at the age of 88.<ref name = Goldstein /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Don |date=April 27, 2025 |title=Dick Barnett, legendary Knicks NBA champion, dead at 88 |url= https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/sports/dick-barnett-legendary-knicks-nba-champion-dead-at-88/ | website= [[New York Post]] |access-date=April 27, 2025 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[1957 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament]]
* [[1958 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament]]
* [[1959 NAIA Division I men's basketball tournament]]
* [[NAIA Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://drdickbarnett.com/ Official website]
* {{IMDb name| 2927810}}

{{navboxes|list=
{{1959 NBA draft}}
{{Cleveland Pipers 1961–62 ABL champions}}
{{New York Knicks 1969-70 NBA champions}}
{{New York Knicks 1972-73 NBA champions}}
{{2024 Basketball HOF}}
{{Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, Dick}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:American Basketball League (1961–62) players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Gary, Indiana]]
[[Category:Cleveland Pipers players]]
[[Category:Fordham University alumni]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lakers players]]
[[Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:NBA All-Stars]]
[[Category:NBA players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:New York Knicks players]]
[[Category:Shooting guards]]
[[Category:Syracuse Nationals draft picks]]
[[Category:Syracuse Nationals players]]
[[Category:Tennessee State Tigers basketball players]]