Rick Barry

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Barry is widely known for his unorthodox underhand free throw technique. His career .880 free throw percentage ranks No. 1 in ABA history, and his .900 percentage was the best of any NBA player at the time of his retirement in 1980. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In October 2021, Barry was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Barry is the father of former professional basketball players Brent Barry, Jon Barry, Drew Barry, Scooter Barry, and Canyon Barry. His wife, Lynn Norenberg Barry, was a star basketball player at the College of William & Mary, where she became the first female athlete to have her jersey number (22) retired.

In Their Own Story

In the 1969 ABA Playoffs, the Oaks ousted the Denver Rockets in a seven-game series then swept the New Orleans Buccaneers in the Western Division finals. In the championship round, they made short work of the Indiana Pacers, 4–1, to capture the league title. Barry had his season come to an abrupt halt on December 27, 1968, when he was blindsided by Ken Wilburn on a drive to the basket and tore left knee ligaments. He attempted to come back in January 1969, only to aggravate the injury and sit out the remainder of the season. He took part in only 35 games but still was named to the ABA All-Star team. The Oaks finished with a 60–18 record under coach Alex Hannum, dominating the Western Division by 14 games over the second-place Buccaneers.

Reader's Guide

Barry was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the second pick of the NBA draft. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in the 1965–66 season. He later played for the Oakland Oaks, Washington Caps, and New York Nets in the ABA. The source does not mention any time with the Houston Rockets.

Did You Know?

• Barry is the only player to lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in points per game in a season.
• He scored 52 points in Game 7 of the 1970 ABA playoffs, still the most points in a seventh and deciding game in professional basketball history.
• Barry wore jersey number 24 in tribute to Willie Mays.
• He was the first American professional athlete to bring a court action against a major league, challenging the reserve clause.