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Dick Barnett, a Basketball Hall of Famer and an All-Star who won NBA championships with the New York Knicks, has died, the team announced on Sunday.
He was 88.
The Gary, Indiana, native was the fifth pick in the 1959 Draft out of Tennessee A&I. He started his career with the Syracuse Nationals, played three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and eventually played nine years with the Knicks from 1965 to 1974.
“Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off the court,” the Knicks said in a statement. “He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history.
“His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.”
Barnett was a part of the Tennessee A&I dynasty that won three straight NAIA championships in 1957. The school is now known as Tennessee State.
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He was a part of the 1970 Knicks team that defeated the Lakers in seven games to win the championship. He averaged 14.9 points and 3.6 assists that season. He played with Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere.
In 1973, the Knicks defeated the Lakers again – this time in five games. He was mostly a bench player at that point in his career. Frazier, DeBusschere and Bill Bradley led the team in scoring.
He finished his career with a 15.8 points per game average and 9,442 total points with the Knicks. He is ninth on the Knicks’ career scoring list and his No. 12 jersey was retired in 1990.
Barnett was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 2024.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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