On the day that the Knicks came back to beat the Pistons in a thrilling and physical Game 4 in Detroit, New York legend Dick Barnett passed away.
He was 88 years old.
Barnett was a two-time NBA champion with the Knicks, helping the franchise win its only titles in 1970 and 1973.
He was also an HBCU legend and a three-time All-America at Tennessee A&I, now known as Tennessee State. Barnett led the team to three consecutive NAIA titles, a first in HBCU history, and took home two NAIA Tournament MVP awards. Playing for legendary coach John McClendon, Barnett became, and remains, the program’s all-time leading scorer.
After a stellar college career, Barnett was selected in the first round of the 1959 NBA Draft by the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers). He spent two years with the team before moving to the Cleveland Pipers, owned by George M. Steinbrenner, in the newly formed ABL.
He won a championship with the Pipers then jumped back to the NBA with the LA Lakers and spent three years with the team before being traded to the Knicks in 1965-66 season, where he averaged 23.1 ppg in his first season with the team.
The next season he tore his Achilles but returned in 1968 and made the All-Star team after being paired with newly acquired guard, Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Two years later, they led the team to its first NBA title in 1970. Three years later, they were joined by another HBCU legend, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, and the three helped won a second title in 1973.
“Dick was one of the leaders of that team,” said teammate Phil Jackson. “I really thought he held a big piece of our success in the late ’60s and early ’70s.”
Barnett was a big believer in education. He got his BA in physical education from California Polytechnic State University, a master’s in public administration from NYU and his doctorate in education and communications from Fordham.
He went on to teach at St. John’s and authored 20 books.
In 2007, he was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and last year, in 2024, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
RIP Dick Barnett.
