1. Richard Barnett was an American professional basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association for the Syracuse Nationals, Los Angeles Lakers, and New York Knicks.
19 Facts About Dick Barnett
1. 2.
Dick Barnett was a member of the Cleveland Pipers in the American Basketball League.
3.
Dick Barnett was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
4.
Dick Barnett was born in Gary, Indiana, on October 2,1936 and later attended Theodore Roosevelt High School.
5.
Dick Barnett's father was a steel worker, and his mother worked at a candy store.
6.
Dick Barnett struggled as a student at school, but he became one of the best basketball players in the state of Indiana.
7.
Dick Barnett did not graduate from there, but later he earned his bachelor's degree from Cal Poly Pomona.
8.
Dick Barnett was known for his trademark "question mark" jump shot, with an unusual technique of kicking his legs back as he released the ball with his left hand, taunting the defenders by saying, "Too late; Fall back baby".
9.
Dick Barnett became a three-time Associated Press Little College All-American, helping the Tigers to a 36-game winning streak and three consecutive National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships.
10.
Dick Barnett received back-to-back most valuable player honors in the 1958 and 1959 NAIA tournaments.
11.
Dick Barnett graduated as the school's All-time scorer with 3,209 points for a 23.6 average in 136 games, while 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.
12.
Dick Barnett was selected by the Syracuse Nationals in the first round of the 1959 NBA draft.
13.
Dick Barnett was used in a sixth man role behind guards Larry Costello and Hal Greer.
14.
Dick Barnett was used in a sixth man role with the Lakers, behind Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.
15.
Dick Barnett helped the team win the Western Division title after West missed 27 games with a leg injury.
16.
Dick Barnett averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his three seasons with the team.
17.
Dick Barnett scored 15,358 regular season points in his career.
18.
Dick Barnett taught Sports Management at St John's University in New York City from 2003 to 2007.
19.
Dick Barnett was known for his sharp wit, being a snappy dresser, and his love of card playing, especially poker.