- Byname of:
- Richard Francis Dennis Barry III
- Born:
- March 28, 1944, Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. (age 82)
- Awards And Honors:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1987)
Rick Barry
-
Who is Rick Barry?
Rick Barry, born on March 28, 1944, is an American Hall of Fame basketball player celebrated as a prolific scorer and accurate free-throw shooter.
Barry played 14 seasons in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA). Nine times, he was a first-team all-league selection. In 1965, the San Francisco Warriors picked Barry in the NBA draft. Barry later joined the Oakland Oaks of the ABA, leading them to a title in 1968â69. After time with the Washington Caps and New York Nets, Barry went back to the Warriors. In 1975, he led the Warriors to an NBA title and was named the finals MVP.
In 1980, Barry retired after two seasons with the Houston Rockets. He was known for his underhand free throw shooting. After his playing career, he became a commentator. In 1987, Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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What sport did Rick Barry play professionally?
Rick Barry professionally played basketball. During his 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA), he was a nine-time first-team all-league selection. In 1975, he led the Golden State Warriors to an NBA title and earned the Finals MVP award. Barry retired as the all-time leader in free-throw percentage for both the ABA and NBA and was known for his underhand free throw shooting technique. After retiring in 1980, he became a commentator on NBA television broadcasts.
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For which teams did Rick Barry play during his career?
Rick Barry played for several teams across both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA) during his 14-season professional career.
Barry's teams included:
* San Francisco Warriors (NBA).
* Oakland Oaks (ABA).
* Washington Caps/Virginia Squires (ABA).
* New York Nets (ABA).
* Golden State Warriors (NBA; his longest tenure with any team).
* Houston Rockets (NBA).1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What made Rick Barry famous among basketball players?
Rick Barry gained fame as a professional basketball player because he was one of the sportâs most prolific scorers and accurate free-throw shooters. During his 14 seasons in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA), Barry was a first-team all-league selection nine times. In 1975, he led the Warriors to an NBA title and was named the finals Most Valuable Player. Barry was also known for his distinctive underhand method for shooting free throws. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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How did Rick Barry's shooting style stand out in basketball history?
Rick Barry stands out in basketball history because of his unconventional, yet highly effective, underhand free throw shooting technique. This old-fashioned method was distinctive and contributed to his accuracy from the free-throw line. Barry retired as the all-time leader in free-throw percentage for both the ABA and the NBA, although the NBA record has since been broken.
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What awards or achievements did Rick Barry earn in his basketball career?
Rick Barry was named an All-American during his senior year at the University of Miami, where he led the National Collegiate Athletic Association in scoring with 37.4 points per game.
In his rookie year in the NBA, Barry was named an All-Star and first-team All-NBA. He repeated these honors the following season, also leading the league in scoring and helping the Warriors reach the NBA finals. In 1975, he led the Warriors to an NBA title and was named the finals Most Valuable Player. Barry retired as the all-time leader in free-throw percentage for both the ABA and the NBA. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and, in 1996, was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
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Rick Barry (born March 28, 1944, Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.) is an American professional basketball player who was one of the most prolific scorers and accurate free throw shooters in the sportâs history. In his 14 seasons playing in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA), he was a first-team all-league selection nine times.
As a senior at the University of Miami, Barry led the National Collegiate Athletic Association in scoring with 37.4 points per game and was named an All-American. He was selected by the San Francisco Warriors with the second overall pick in the 1965 NBA draft. In his rookie year, Barry was named an All-Star and first-team All-NBA, honours he repeated the following season as he led the league in scoring and helped the Warriors reach the NBA finals, which they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unhappy with his pay and the Warriorsâ coaching, Barry joined the Oakland Oaks of the upstart ABA. Not only did Barry become a minority owner of the team, but his father-in-law and former college coach, Bruce Hale, was hired as the Oaksâ head coach. Barry was forced to sit out the 1967â68 season, however, because of the resulting legal dispute between the two leagues. He led the Oaks to an ABA title in 1968â69, but soured on the team when it announced that it was relocating to Washington, D.C., and he re-signed with the Warriors in an attempt to remain in the Bay Area. However, a court order forced Barry to return to the ABA, and, after an abbreviated season in Washington, he was dealt to the New York Nets. After two productive seasons with the Nets, he was obligated to honour the contract he had signed with the Warriors three years earlier and Barry returned to the NBA.
Barryâs second stint with the Warriors lasted six seasons, by far his longest tenure with any professional team. He led the Warriors to the 1975 NBA title and was named the finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 29.5 points per game in his teamâs four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets.
Barry signed with the Houston Rockets in 1978, but his level of play dramatically fell off, and he retired in 1980 after two disappointing seasons in Houston, the only seasons in which he did not receive All-Star honours during his 14-year career. He retired as the all-time leader in free-throw percentage for both the ABA and the NBA (the latter record has since been broken), and he was famous for his distinctive, old-fashioned underhand method for shooting free throws. After his playing days ended, Barry worked as a commentator on NBA television broadcasts. Four of his sons also played professional basketball, including Brent, who was a member of two championship-winning San Antonio Spurs teams, making the Barrys the second father-son duo to capture NBA titles (preceded by Matt Guokas, Sr., and Matt Guokas, Jr., and followed by Bill Walton and Luke Walton). Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996.