By Woodrow Carroll
Former NBA All-Star, Dick Barnett, passed away in late April. A solid player who forged a 14-year career in the NBA, Barnett touched shoulders, at least marginally, to some degree, with a long list of notable sports figures along the way.
Born and raised in Gary, Ind., Barnett attended Gary Roosevelt High School. As a senior at Roosevelt High, Barnett guided the Rough Riders to the 1955 Indiana High School Championship Game. Unfortunately for Barnett and Roosevelt, it was the legendary Indianapolis Crispus Attucks team, featuring Oscar Robertson, that stood in the way of Barnett and Roosevelt. The final score in the title game went the Attucks’ way, 97-74.
Coaching the Crispus Attucks was Ray Crowe. Does the name Crowe ring a bell? Ray Crowe was the older brother of George Crowe who was the first Mr. Indiana Basketball winner in 1939. An award given to the senior high school basketballer judged to be the best in the Hoosier State.
Historical note! While Indianapolis was segregated, a number of cities in the state of Indiana at the time were fully integrated. One such community was Franklin near Indianapolis where Crowe went to high school. And, before we leave George Crowe, we should mention his baseball skills.
Playing for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956, with a rookie named Frank Robinson, among others, Crowe filled in at second base for an injured player. A gifted pinch hitter, Crowe played using a trappers mitt that most first basemen used. There was a protest concerning Crowe’s choice of equipment. The trappers mitt was not used by other infielders. However, Crowe’s play stood up! The following season, the trappers Mitt was ruled out for non-first basemen.
After graduating from Roosevelt, Barnett attended Tennessee A&I College in Nashville. No second-place finishes there for Barnett and company.
At Tennessee A&I College, Barnett keyed the Tigers to three consecutive NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) basketball crowns.
Today, Tennessee A&I is known as Tennessee State University and has long since become integrated. When Barnett attended the school, it was a segregated institution and Tennessee A&I was the first all-black college or university to win an “open” (integrated) postseason college basketball tournament.
Barnett was the No. 4 pick in the 1959 NBA Draft taken by the Syracuse Nats. In time, he ended up on an Los Angeles Lakers team with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. Yet, it was late in his career after being traded to the New York Knicks that Barnett really stood out.
Much was expected of the 1969-1970 New York Knicks. With a steady starting lineup of Barnett, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere. Walt Frazier, and Bill Bradley, many felt it was to be the Knicks’ year to win the franchises’ first NBA Crown. And, they were right!
New York opened the 1969-1970 campaign going 23-1. While the team did cool down, the Knicks still closed with a final regular-season record of 60-22, the best mark in franchise history. The team’s final regular-season mark being the best in franchise history.
As fate would have it, the Knicks ended up facing Barnett’s old team the Lakers in the Championship Final. The final went seven games before New York made Game 7 a fond memory. Unless, of course, you were pulling for the Lakers.
In that deciding Game 7 meeting between the Knicks and Lakers, New York came out hitting on all cylinders. It was 69-42 New York at the half and the home team coasted to a 113-99 victory.
In 1973, the Knicks repeated as NBA Champions. While Barnett was still on the team, his playing time had been reduced because his career was coming to an end. Earl Monroe had largely taken Barnett’s place at guard for the team.