Athletes - Rick Barry

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	Athletes - Rick Barry

Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA) is a former professional basketball player, remembered for his accurate underhand free throw shooting.

He was an All-Pro forward for the NBA's Golden State Warriors and the New York Nets of the ABA from 1966-1979.

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players ever by the NBA, Barry is still considered one of the best forwards in history. He is the only player in history to have led the NCAA, ABA and NBA in scoring for an individual season.

College career

Barry played at the University of Miami in the early-mid 1960s, where he lead the NCAA in scoring.

Pro career

Teamed with star center Nate Thurmond in San Francisco, the 6'7" Barry led the NBA in scoring and led the San Francisco Warriors to the NBA Finals in his second season. Angered at not receiving incentive monies he felt owed for these feats from San Francisco manager Al Bianchi, Barry sat out his next season and jumped to the ABA for a much larger contract.

Barry starred in the less-talented league, often averaging well over 30 points per game, and he led the Oakland Oaks to the league championship in the 1968-1969 season. Seeking better competition and a return to his old team, Barry returned to the NBA in 1972. In 1975, he led the now-Golden State Warriors to the NBA championship. The following year, the Warriors were upset in the playoffs by the sub-.500 Phoenix Suns. In 1977, they lost to the eventual champion Portland, and its star Bill Walton, in the Western Conference playoffs.

Rick Barry was traded to the Houston Rockets in return for John Lucas. Now in the twilight of his career, he averaged a modest 13.5 points. He did set a new NBA record, however, by posting a 94.7 free-throw percentage for the season. He retired in 1980.

Broadcasting

Controversial and outspoken, Barry continues to work in the field of broadcasting, a career he began after retiring from pro basketball (first with CBS and then with TBS). As of 2006, Barry broadcasts on KNBR-AM in San Francisco, California, a role he has held since 2001. He currently co-hosts a talk show weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. with Rod Brooks.

Basketball career

Roselle Park High School - Roselle Park, New Jersey (1957-61)
*Two-time All-State selection
University of Miami (1961-65)
*Associated Press First-Team All-America (1965)
*The Sporting News All-America Second Team (1965)
*Consensus All-America (1965)
*Led the nation in scoring (37.4 ppg) as a senior
NBA San Francisco Warriors (1965-67)
*NBA Rookie of the Year (1966)
*NBA leading scorer in 1967 (35.6 ppg)
*NBA All-Star Game MVP (1967)
ABA Oakland Oaks (1968-69)
ABA Washington Capitals (1969-70)
ABA New York Nets (1970-72)
NBA Golden State Warriors (1972-78)
*All-NBA Second Team (1973)
*NBA Finals MVP (1975)
NBA Houston Rockets (1978-79)

All-NBA First Team (1966, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1976)
Eight time NBA All-Star (1966, 1967, 1973-78)
ABA All-Star First Team (1969-72)
NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)

Basketball blood

Rick Barry has four sons, Scooter, Drew, Jon, Brent, all of whom are or have been professional basketball players.

With his son Brent winning the NBA Championship in 2005 with the San Antonio Spurs, Rick and Brent have become only the second father-son duo to both win NBA Championships as players; the first was Matt Guokas, Sr. and his son, Matt Guokas, Jr.

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