Rick Barry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rick Barry

Barry in 2015
Personal information
Born	(1944-03-28) March 28, 1944 (age 81) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
High school	Roselle Park (Roselle Park, New Jersey)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
College	Miami (Florida) (1962–1965)
NBA Draft	1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the San Francisco Warriors
Pro career	1965–1980
Coaching career	1992–2000
Career history
As player:
1965–1967	San Francisco Warriors
1968–1969	Oakland Oaks
1969–1970	Washington Caps
1970–1972	New York Nets
1972–1978	Golden State Warriors
1978–1980	Houston Rockets
As coach:
1992	Cedar Rapids Sharpshooters
1993–1994	Fort Wayne Fury
1998–1999	New Jersey ShoreCats
2000	Florida Sea Dragons
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (1975) NBA Finals MVP (1975) ABA champion (1969) 8× NBA All-Star (1966, 1967, 1973–1978) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1967) 5× All-NBA First Team (1966, 1967, 1974–1976) All-NBA Second Team (1973) 4× ABA All-Star (1969–1972) 4× All-ABA First Team (1969–1972) NBA Rookie of the Year (1966) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1966) NBA scoring champion (1967) NBA steals leader (1975) NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th) No. 24 retired by Golden State Warriors Consensus first-team All-American (1965) NCAA scoring champion (1965) No. 24 retired by Miami Hurricanes
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	25,279 (24.8 ppg)
Rebounds	6,863 (6.7 rpg)
Assists	4,952 (4.9 apg)

Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944), known as Rick Barry, is a retired American professional basketball player. He was amazing at scoring and playing all-around in college (NCAA), the American Basketball Association (ABA), and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the only player ever to lead all three leagues in points per game in a single season!

Rick Barry is famous for his unique underhand free throw style. This unusual way of shooting helped him become one of the best free throw shooters ever. He had the best free throw percentage in ABA history (.880) and the best in the NBA (.900) when he retired in 1980. Because of his incredible skills, he was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He was also named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and one of the NBA's 75 greatest players in 2021.

Rick Barry comes from a family of basketball stars! His sons, Brent Barry, Jon Barry, Drew Barry, and Scooter Barry, all played professional basketball. His youngest son, Canyon Barry, is also a professional player. His wife, Lynn Norenberg Barry, was a fantastic basketball player in college. She was the first female athlete at the College of William & Mary to have her jersey number (22) retired.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Rick Barry was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and grew up in a town called Roselle Park. When he was just a fifth-grader, he played on the high school's varsity basketball team! His dad, Aldo, was the coach.

Even though he was great at basketball, baseball was actually his favorite sport growing up. He was a huge fan of Willie Mays, a famous baseball player who wore jersey number 24. Rick Barry chose to wear the same number throughout his basketball career to honor Mays. He graduated from Roselle Park High School in 1962.

College Basketball Career

Rick Barry had over 30 scholarship offers from different colleges! He chose the University of Miami because their basketball team, the Hurricanes, played a fast-paced style that fit his skills perfectly. While there, he met his future wife, Pamela, who was the daughter of his coach, Bruce Hale.

In his senior year (1964–65), Rick Barry led all college players in scoring, averaging an amazing 37.4 points per game! However, his team couldn't play in the NCAA Tournament because of a team rule violation.

After college, the San Francisco Warriors picked him second overall in the 1965 NBA draft. In 1976, Rick Barry was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. His number 24 jersey is one of only two jerseys ever retired by the Hurricanes.

Professional Basketball Journey

Starting Strong with the San Francisco Warriors (1965–1967)

Rick Barry's publicity photo in 1972

When Rick Barry joined the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA, the team improved a lot! They went from winning only 17 games to 35 wins in his first season.

People called him the "Miami Greyhound" because he was tall, thin, super fast, and had amazing instincts on the court. In his first year (the 1965–66 season), he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He averaged 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

The next year, he was named the 1967 NBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring 38 points! He also led the entire NBA in scoring that season with 35.6 points per game, which is still one of the highest averages ever.

Rick Barry, along with star center Nate Thurmond, led the Warriors to the 1967 NBA Finals. Even though he had a knee injury, Barry averaged an incredible 40.8 points per game in that series! This was an NBA Finals record for three decades. Even legendary player Wilt Chamberlain said, "The guy was so good that we had to have three different guys guard him at different times. 'Cause he would run them all ragged."

Moving to the ABA (1968–1972)

Rick Barry had some disagreements with the Warriors' owner, so he decided to join the rival league, the ABA. He signed a huge contract with the Oakland Oaks, a team owned by singer Pat Boone. This made him the first big NBA player to switch leagues.

However, because of his contract with the Warriors, the courts made him sit out the entire 1967–68 NBA season. This situation made some people see Barry in a negative way, but many other NBA players also saw the ABA as a chance to earn more money.

Championship with the Oakland Oaks (1968–1969)

Rick Barry before the 1969 ABA All-Star Game in Louisville, Kentucky

After sitting out a year, Rick Barry finally played for the Oakland Oaks in the 1968–69 ABA season. He quickly showed he was still one of the best players, averaging a league-high 34.0 points per game. The Oaks then made history by becoming the first West Coast team to win a professional basketball championship!

Unfortunately, Rick Barry got a knee injury in December 1968 and could only play in 35 games that season. Even so, he was still named to the ABA All-Star team. Without him for most of the season, the Oaks still finished with an amazing 60–18 record and went on to win the 1969 ABA Playoffs championship!

Playing for the Washington Caps (1969–1970)

Even though the Oaks won a championship, they didn't have many fans at their games. So, the team was sold and moved to Washington, D.C., becoming the Washington Caps. Rick Barry was not happy about this move and even said, "If I wanted to go to Washington, I'd run for president!"

He missed the first 32 games but eventually joined the team. He still scored 27.7 points per game, which was second-best in the league. In the playoffs, he scored an incredible 52 points in a Game 7, which was a record for a deciding game in professional basketball history!

Time with the New York Nets (1970–1972)

The Washington Caps team moved again and became the Virginia Squires. Rick Barry still didn't want to play there. So, on September 1, 1970, the Squires traded him to the New York Nets.

He played 59 games in the 1970–71 season and was an ABA All-Star. He led the league in scoring with 29.4 points per game. The next year (1971–72), he led the league again with 31.5 points per game. He also led the ABA in free throw percentage for both of those years. He even set an ABA record by making 23 free throws in a row in one game!

In the 1972 ABA Finals, the Nets made it all the way to the championship round but lost to the Indiana Pacers. After his contract with the Nets ended, a court ruled that Rick Barry had to return to the Golden State Warriors due to an earlier contract.

Return to the Golden State Warriors (1972–1978)

Rick Barry with the Golden State Warriors in 1976

When Rick Barry came back to the Warriors and the NBA, he changed his playing style. He became what's called a "point forward," meaning he played a lot like a point guard, helping to set up the team's offense. On March 26, 1974, he scored a career-high 64 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a game!

Before the 1974–75 season, his teammates voted him team captain. That year, he had the best all-around season of his career. He averaged 30.6 points per game, led the league in free throw percentage (.904), and led the league in steals per game (2.9). He was also sixth in assists per game (6.2), which is very high for a forward!

In the 1975 NBA Finals, the Warriors faced the Washington Bullets. The Warriors won the series in four games, and Rick Barry was named the NBA Finals MVP! He averaged 29.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game in that championship series.

His relationship with some teammates became difficult later on. In his last season with the Warriors (1977–78), he averaged 23.1 points per game.

Finishing with the Houston Rockets (1978–1980)

Rick Barry ended his playing career with the Houston Rockets, playing through the 1979–80 NBA season. He took on a new role, often being the first player to come off the bench. He also became the first true small forward to get 500 assists in a season, finishing with a career-high 502 assists.

In his first season with the Rockets, he averaged 13.5 points per game and set a new NBA record (which has since been broken) with an amazing .947 free throw percentage. He retired after the 1979–80 season.

Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1965–66	San Francisco (NBA)	80*	—	37.4	.439	—	.862	10.6	2.2	—	—	25.7
1966–67	San Francisco (NBA)	78	—	40.7	.451	—	.884	9.2	3.6	—	—	35.6*
1968–69†	Oakland (ABA)	35	—	38.9	.511	.300	.888*	9.4	3.9	—	—	34.0*
1969–70	Washington (ABA)	52	—	35.6	.499	.205	.864	7.0	3.4	—	—	27.7
1970–71	New York (ABA)	59	—	42.4	.469	.221	.890	6.8	5.0	—	—	29.4
1971–72	New York (ABA)	80	—	45.2*	.458	.308	.878	7.5	4.1	—	—	31.5
1972–73	Golden State (NBA)	82*	—	37.5	.452	—	.902*	8.9	4.9	—	—	22.3
1973–74	Golden State (NBA)	80	—	36.5	.456	—	.899	6.8	6.1	2.1	0.5	25.1
1974–75†	Golden State (NBA)	80	—	40.4	.464	—	.904*	5.7	6.2	2.9*	0.4	30.6
1975–76	Golden State (NBA)	81	—	38.5	.435	—	.923*	6.1	6.1	2.5	0.3	21.0
1976–77	Golden State (NBA)	79	—	36.8	.440	—	.916	5.3	6.0	2.2	0.7	21.8
1977–78	Golden State (NBA)	82	—	36.9	.451	—	.924*	5.5	5.4	1.9	0.5	23.1
1978–79	Houston (NBA)	80	—	32.1	.461	—	.947*	3.5	6.3	1.2	0.5	13.5
1979–80	Houston (NBA)	72	—	25.2	.422	.330	.935*	3.3	3.7	1.1	0.4	12.0
Career (NBA)		794	—	36.3	.449	.330	.900	6.5	5.1	2.0	0.5	23.2
Career (ABA)		226	—	41.3	.477	.277	.880	7.5	4.1	—	—	30.5
Career (ABA/NBA)		1.020	—	37.4	.456	.297	.893	6.7	4.9	2.0	0.5	24.8
All-Star (NBA)		7	6	27.8	.486	—	.833	4.1	4.4	3.2	0.1	18.2
All-Star (ABA)		4	0	20.5	.432	—	.857	6.0	4.5	—	—	11.0
All-Star (ABA/NBA)		11	6	25.1	.473	—	.842	4.8	4.4	—	—	15.6

Playoff Stats

Life After Playing Basketball

Coaching Basketball Teams

After retiring as a player, Rick Barry became a basketball coach.

• In 1992, he coached the Cedar Rapids Sharpshooters in the Global Basketball Association (GBA). His team had the best record (12–4) before the league stopped playing.
• From 1993 to 1994, he coached the Fort Wayne Fury in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA).
• He also coached in the United States Basketball League (USBL) for the New Jersey ShoreCats (1998–1999) and the Florida Sea Dragons (2000).

Working in Broadcasting

Rick Barry was one of the first basketball players to become a successful sports broadcaster. He started broadcasting games even while he was still playing. He worked for major networks like CBS and TBS. He continued his broadcasting career with TNT and also hosted a sports talk show on KNBR radio in San Francisco.

Family Life

Rick Barry has a diverse background, with Irish, English, French, and Lithuanian roots. He was raised Catholic and later became a Methodist.

As of 2017, Rick Barry lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Lynn Norenberg Barry. They even rented a place in Florida to be close to their youngest son, Canyon, when he played basketball for the University of Florida.

Rick Barry has four sons and one daughter with his first wife, Pam: Scooter, Jon, Brent, Drew, and Shannon. All of his sons became professional basketball players! He is the only NBA player to have three sons (Jon, Brent, and Drew) also play in the NBA.

When his son Brent won the NBA Championship in 2005 with the San Antonio Spurs, Rick and Brent became the second father-son duo to both win NBA Championships as players.

His sons Jon and Brent also became broadcasters after they retired from playing. Jon is a game analyst for ESPN, and Brent worked as an analyst for TNT and NBA TV.

Amazing Career Achievements

Rick Barry achieved many great things in his basketball career:

• Roselle Park High School (1957–1961)
  • Chosen as All-State twice.
• University of Miami (1961–1965)
  • Named First-Team All-America in 1965.
  • Led the entire NCAA in scoring in 1965 (37.4 points per game).
• NBA San Francisco Warriors (1965–1967)
  • NBA Rookie of the Year (1966).
  • Led the NBA in scoring in 1967 (35.6 points per game).
  • NBA All-Star Game MVP (1967).
• ABA Oakland Oaks (1968–1969)
  • Led the ABA in scoring in 1969 (34.0 points per game).
• ABA Washington Caps (1969–1970)
• ABA New York Nets (1970–1972)
• NBA Golden State Warriors (1972–1978)
  • NBA Finals MVP (1975).
  • NBA Champion (1975).
• NBA Houston Rockets (1978–1979)
• He led the NBA in free throw percentage six times (1973, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980).
• He led the ABA in free throw percentage three times (1969, 1971, 1972).
• He was an NBA All-Star eight times (1966, 1967, 1973–1978).
• He was an ABA All-Star four times (1969–1972).
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
• Named one of the NBA 75 Greatest Players (2021).
• He scored 50 or more points in 15 NBA games (5th most in NBA history).
• He scored 40 or more points in 115 professional games (4th most in history).

NBA Records and Achievements

Regular Season Records

• Rick Barry is the only player in history to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring in a season.
• He was the youngest player to score 57 points in an NBA game (December 14, 1965).
• He made 23 consecutive free throws in an ABA game (February 7, 1969).
• As a forward, he had 19 assists in a game (November 30, 1976).

Playoff Records

• He scored 30 or more points in every game of a 6-game playoff series (vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals).
• He scored 281 points in a 7-game ABA playoff series (vs. Denver Rockets, 1970 Semifinals).
• He scored 52 points in a Game 7 of an ABA-NBA playoff series (April 28, 1970).
• He had 235 field goal attempts in a 6-game series (vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals).
• He attempted 48 field goals in one game (April 18, 1967).
• He had 4 steals in one quarter (May 11, 1975).

NBA Finals Records

• He holds the highest career scoring average in the NBA Finals: 36.3 points per game.
• He scored 30 or more points in every game of a 6-game championship series (vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals).
• He made 22 field goals in one game (April 18, 1967).
• He attempted 235 field goals in a 6-game series (vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 1967 NBA Finals).
• He attempted 48 field goals in one game (April 18, 1967).
• He had 14 steals in a 4-game series (vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 NBA Finals).

NBA All-Star Game Records

• He has the highest career steals average in All-Star Games: 3.2 steals per game.
• He attempted 27 field goals in the 1967 NBA All-Star Game.
• He had 8 steals in the 1975 NBA All-Star Game.

Images for kids

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  Rick Barry's publicity photo in 1972

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  Rick Barry before the 1969 ABA All-Star Game in Louisville, Kentucky

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  Rick Barry with the Golden State Warriors in 1976