Rick Barry was a modern basketball player much before fans understood what that means. He was so much ahead of his time that even today, his game looks like something every coach would like in his team. And Barry retired in 1980. He is remembered as one of the smartest players in NBA history. Even Michael Jordan said that he learned a lot from watching how Barry played.
Fifty years ago, he was a player who could play multiple positions and impact the game on both sides of the floor. Still, he will always be remembered for his unusual free-throw technique. His underhand shots were effective, so his percentage was the best in NBA and ABA history at the moment of his retirement.
Barry is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame since 1987.
Rick Barry – Playing career
After a successful college career, Barry was selected second in the 1965 draft by the San Francisco Warriors. They were forming a young and exciting team that could compete with everybody in the league. In his first season, he established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. He was selected for the NBA All-Star Game and was voted rookie of the year.
He finished the season with double average stats with more than 25 points and 11 rebounds per game. For his second season, he will still be in the All-Star Game, where he was voted MVP by scoring 38 points and finished as the league’s top scorer (36 points, only three players have done better in terms of point averages in league history). And he took the Warriors to the NBA Finals. Disappointed by his team’s lack of recognition, he left the NBA for the ABA and a better contract.
He often averaged 30 points in the ABA, and Barry led the Oakland Oaks to the 1969 ABA title. Wanting to play again at the highest level, he returned to the NBA in 1972.
Rick Barry has four sons, Scooter, Drew, Jon, and Brent, who became professional basketball players.
With Brent’s 2005 NBA title at the San Antonio Spurs, Rick and Brent become the second father-son tandem to win the NBA title.
Clubs :
- 1962-65: University of Miami (NCAA)
- 1965-67: San Francisco Warriors (NBA)
- 1967-69: Oakland Oaks (ABA)
- 1969-70: Washington Capitols (ABA)
- 1970-72: New York Nets (ABA)
- 1972-78: Golden State Warriors (NBA)
- 1979-1980: Houston Rockets(NBA)
Rick Barry – Titles and records
America from The Sporting News in 1965, the year he finished with a Consensus All-America title. That same year, he finished with the top scorer title in the country with 37.4 points. After two selections to the state team, while playing with Roselle Park High School, he was rewarded in college with a choice to the All-America‘s top five by Associated Press and the All-America’s second team.
He also finished in the ABA’s top five four times, from 1969 to 1972. He was voted NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player in 1967. He competed in this event eight times, in 1966, 1967, and from 1973 to 1978.
In 1966, Rick Barry received the title of NBA Rookie of the Year. He got his first selection in the first five of the NBA during the years 1967, 1974, 1975, 1976.
TweetHe earned the National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 1975 when winning the NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors.
He is one of the 50 best players of the fiftieth anniversary of the NBA in 1996.
Rick Barry – Net Worth
Rick Barry is an NBA Hall of Fame player and reportedly has a net worth of $3 million. He is best known for his time with the Golden State Warriors, where he won an NBA Championship in 1975. He was also a 10-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA selection, and 5-time All-ABA selection.
Why did nobody like to play with Rick?
He was an extraordinary forward, one of the best ever and ahead of his time. But he was also one of the most hated by all players, teammates, and rivals.
His teammates didn’t like that Barry was a sucking player, narcissistic, and incapable of understanding that not everyone could be as good as him. He liked to put the people down and praise his own game.
On the hand, he never had respect for the opponents or media. Many describe him as a dirty player who never cared about fair play. When he needed to talk with the media only interest was to explain how much better than anybody else he is.
Where is Rick Barry now?
At the moment, Rick Barry resides in Florida, where he lives with his third wife, Lynn. Since 2007 when he stopped working on his TV show, Rick lives far from the public eye, trying to enjoy his time with his family.
How many NBA Finals did Rick Barry play in?
He played in NBA finals in seasons 1966-1967 and 1974-1975. Both times, he represented the Warriors and was their best player and leading scorer.
In the 1967 finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, he scored 55 points in the third game of the series, which was incredible, mainly because 3 point line did not exist back then.
In the 1975 Finals, his team swept Washington Bullets. Rick Barry averaged 30 points per game and was the MVP of the entire season.
Why did Rick Barry stop playing?
His last team in NBA was Houston Rockets in the 1979-1980 season. That season it was evident that his prime time had passed and that numerous injuries were leaving their mark. Barry couldn’t handle the level of physicality and quickness young guys were bringing, and when the team lost in the conference semifinals against the Lakers, he decided to retire.
