Richard Barnett

Dick Barnett is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association for 14 seasons, most notably with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. Barnett won two NBA Championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Richard "Dick" Barnett was born on October 2, 1936, in Gary, Indiana, United States of America. He stands 193 cm tall and his weight was listed at 86 kg during his playing career. Barnett shot right and played as a shooting guard.

Barnett, who holds a PhD in education from Fordham University, is now retired from teaching Sports Management at St. John's University in New York as of 2007.

High School and College Career

Barnett attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana. As a senior in 1955, he led his team to the Indiana state championship game, where they lost to Crispus Attucks High School led by future NBA star Oscar Robertson.

Barnett played college basketball at Tennessee State University, then known as Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State University, from 1955 to 1959. Playing under Hall of Fame coach John McLendon, Barnett led Tennessee A&I to three consecutive NAIA national championships from 1957 to 1959. He was a three-time NAIA All-American and two-time NAIA Tournament MVP.

Professional Career

Barnett was selected by the Syracuse Nationals with the 4th overall pick in the 1959 NBA Draft. He spent his first two seasons with the Nationals.

In 1961, Barnett briefly left the NBA to play for the Cleveland Pipers in the American Basketball League. He returned to the NBA in 1962 when the Pipers folded, joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

Barnett played three seasons with the Lakers from 1962 to 1965, serving as a sixth man behind stars Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. He helped the Lakers reach the NBA Finals in 1963.

In 1965, Barnett was traded to the New York Knicks, where he would spend the remainder of his career. He was a key player on the Knicks' championship teams in 1970 and 1973. Barnett made his only NBA All-Star appearance in 1968.

Barnett retired after the 1973-74 season.

Post-Playing Career

After retiring as a player, Barnett served as an assistant coach for the Knicks under Red Holzman from 1974 to 1976. He then pursued his education, earning a master's degree in public administration from New York University and a doctorate in education from Fordham University.

Barnett was the subject of the 2022 documentary The Dream Whisperer, which chronicles the Tennessee A&I teams that won three straight NAIA titles from 1957 to 1959.

In 2024, it was announced that Barnett would be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Career Highlights

• 1970, 1973 - NBA champion
• 1968 - NBA All-Star
• 1962 - ABL champion
• 1962 - All-ABL First Team

• No. 12 retired by New York Knicks

• 1957–1959 - NAIA champion
• 1957–1959 - AP Little College All-American
• 1958, 1959 - UPI Little College All-American
• 1958, 1959 - NAIA tournament MVP

Career NBA Statistics

• Points - 15,358 (15.8 ppg)
• Rebounds - 2,812 (2.9 rpg)
• Assists - 2,729 (2.8 apg)