RIP Dick Barnett, 88

[BrookJersey Redmen]

Now that was a team you could root for. Great floor leader in Clyde, great shooters on the wings, great passing, unselfish guard play and a strong presence in the post with an actual post game. Loved that team. They say the NBA game has evolved? Evolved into what??

Oh and one other thing. The collective basketball IQ of that team was off the charts.

So true,Silly. BB IQ off the charts, selfless pass-first, players. They hustled, they boxed out, they played the game the right way. They outplayed taller, more athletic and more gifted teams with their Team Ball approach.

Two main mantras one on offense, one on defense, Clyde talks about it all the time.

On Offense: "hit the open man"
On Defense: "see the ball, see the man"

Team first players every one of them, and you had to provide defense for Red to give you minutes. (Like Pitino).

Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, Nate Bowman, Donnie May, Bill Hosket, all had roles and played them well. Even St. John's own rookie Johnny Warren played about 6 minutes a game that 69-70 season. He was a first rounder #11 in the draft. Phil Jackson of course too, but injured that first championship year.

 

[Beasts of the East]

Don't forget Cazzie Russell, I hope he's still alive

He is an ordained minister who was also head basketball coach at Savannah School or Art and Design. Not coach anymore but i believe he is still alive. But that's off topic too.

 

[Wolfie]

Great player and man; loved that 'Fall Back Baby' jump shot!

May he R.I.P.

 

[bamafan]

Don't forget Cazzie Russell, I hope he's still alive

Bet not half as much as he does. Cassie is 78 years old. Cazzie is on topic as a teammate of Dick Barnett let’s not get ridiculous here. No one is going to be ticked they logged into a thread about the passing of Dick Barnett and there were posts about his teammates.

 

[Silly Donovan]

When I was going to St. John’s in the early 70s, I worked part time at a record shop in Jamaica called Triboro Records. In the shops basement, they had every 45 ever made from classic rock to blues to Motown they had it all. Three of the shop’s regulars were Dave Stallworth, Dick Barnett and Phil Jackson. Since I was the only one who knew the system in the basement, they always asked me for help and we would always talk hoops while I searched for their records. All down to earth, really nice guys.

One time they had a request they said they couldn’t find anywhere. I spent almost 45 minutes looking and I found it in an obscure location that not even the owner knew about. They were so elated, they threw me tickets to a Knick game versus Wes Unseld and the Baltimore Bullets. It was Jackson who pulled them out of his pocket.

One other thing I just remembered. The owners name was Jack and his son was this jerky kid named Barnett. When Dick Barnett used to come in I used to tease him and call Jack’s son Dick Barnett’s long lost son cause of the name match. He used to roll his eyes and we always had a good laugh about it, he was a very good sport about it.

Do any of you remember Triboro Records in Jamaica, across from Macy’s by the elevated trains?

 

[Beasts of the East]

When I was going to St. John’s in the early 70s, I worked part time at a record shop in Jamaica called Triboro Records. In the shops basement, they had every 45 ever made from classic rock to blues to Motown they had it all. Three of the shop’s regulars were Dave Stallworth, Dick Barnett and Phil Jackson. Since I was the only one who knew the system in the basement, they always asked me for help and we would always talk hoops while I searched for their records. All down to earth, really nice guys.

One time they had a request they said they couldn’t find anywhere. I spent almost 45 minutes looking and I found it in an obscure location that not even the owner knew about. They were so elated, they threw me tickets to a Knick game versus Wes Unseld and the Baltimore Bullets. It was Jackson who pulled them out of his pocket.

The original Action Jackson!!! Dave Stallworth saved game 5 by guarding and taking it right at Wilt!

Barnett did a great job on Jerry West (or as good as anyone could). It was strategic because it freed Clyde to roam and pick pockets.

Bullets matched up man to man with Knicks!

Monroe Frazier
Reed unseld
Jack marin - bradley
Gus johnson DeBusscher
Barnett -?? Not Chenier... hmm

 

[logen]

Kevin Loughery

 

[Beasts of the East]

The original Action Jackson!!! Dave Stallworth saved game 5 by guarding and taking it right at Wilt!

Barnett did a great job on Jerry West (or as good as anyone could). It was strategic because it freed Clyde to roam and pick pockets.

Bullets matched up man to man with Knicks!

Monroe Frazier
Reed unseld
Jack marin - bradley
Gus johnson DeBusscher
Barnett -?? Not Chenier... hmm

Kevin Loughery?

 

[Mean Gene]

The original Action Jackson!!! Dave Stallworth saved game 5 by guarding and taking it right at Wilt!

Barnett did a great job on Jerry West (or as good as anyone could). It was strategic because it freed Clyde to roam and pick pockets.

Bullets matched up man to man with Knicks!

Monroe Frazier
Reed unseld
Jack marin - bradley
Gus johnson DeBusscher
Barnett -?? Not Chenier... hmm

Didn’t the bullets have Elvin Hayes also?

 

[NCJohnnie]

Didn’t the bullets have Elvin Hayes also?

Not during 69-70 when the Knicks won their first championship - that pic was of the first Knicks championship team. He was on the Bullets when the Knicks won their second championship in the 72-73 season.

 

[Ralph318!]

The original Action Jackson!!! Dave Stallworth saved game 5 by guarding and taking it right at Wilt!

Barnett did a great job on Jerry West (or as good as anyone could). It was strategic because it freed Clyde to roam and pick pockets.

Bullets matched up man to man with Knicks!

Monroe Frazier
Reed unseld
Jack marin - bradley
Gus johnson DeBusscher
Barnett -?? Not Chenier... hmm

Mike Riordan left the Knicks and matched up against Dr. Barnett and then Earl Monroe. But I may be missing……..Kevin St. John’s then a Baltimore Bullet Loughery. Cheers!!!

 

[SJU85]

Mike Riordan left the Knicks and matched up against Dr. Barnett and then Earl Monroe. But I may be missing……..Kevin St. John’s then a Baltimore Bullet Loughery. Cheers!!!

The Knicks traded Riordan and Stallworth for Earl Monroe. Monroe took Barnett’s place as Walt Frazier’s backcourt partner in the starting lineup.

 

[Ralph318!]

The Knicks traded Riordan and Stallworth for Earl Monroe. Monroe took Barnett’s place as Walt Frazier’s backcourt partner in the starting lineup.

Thanks for the full information. It brings back great memories My father had season tickets and I went to many playoff games with him as a young boy.
The best battles were the Knicks vs. the Bullets. The matchups made it.
We used to sit in the blue seats amongst the cigarette and cigar smoke and gamblers.

Great memories,and thanks 85, as always, for your ever informative and kind posts. Much appreciated. RIP Dr. Barnett. Fall back baby!!!!

 

[BrookJersey Redmen]

Thanks for the full information. It brings back great memories My father had season tickets and I went to many playoff games with him as a young boy.
The best battles were the Knicks vs. the Bullets. The matchups made it.
We used to sit in the blue seats amongst the cigarette and cigar smoke and gamblers.

Great memories,and thanks 85, as always, for your ever informative and kind posts. Much appreciated. RIP Dr. Barnett. Fall back baby!!!!

There was a series where, Reed and Unseld were rebounding machines, Wes had like 33 in a game, so, of course, the next night, Willis came back and had 35 rebounds.

Imagine 35 rebounds in one game, amazing. Both were undersized Centers, especially Wes Unseld.

Entire teams don't get 35 rebounds.

Bradley and Marin wore each other out, scurrying around the court on offense, never staying in the same spot for more than two seconds, whirling dervishes, always trying to break free from the other one.

DeBuscherre and Gus Johnson, Mano-a-Mano, brute force, Dave a better outside shooter, Gus a better inside force.

Those were the days.

I favored the 1969-70 teams over 72-73 cause of Barnett, and I always remembered The Pearl as a Bullet and not so much as a Knick. In retirement The Pearl is a favorite Knick now after all.

 

[NCJohnnie]

There was a series where, Reed and Unseld were rebounding machines, Wes had like 33 in a game, so, of course, the next night, Willis came back and had 35 rebounds.

Imagine 35 rebounds in one game, amazing. Both were undersized Centers, especially Wes Unseld.

Entire teams don't get 35 rebounds.

Bradley and Marin wore each other out, scurrying around the court on offense, never staying in the same spot for more than two seconds, whirling dervishes, always trying to break free from the other one.

DeBuscherre and Gus Johnson, Mano-a-Mano, brute force, Dave a better outside shooter, Gus a better inside force.

Those were the days.

I favored the 1969-70 teams over 72-73 cause of Barnett, and I always remembered The Pearl as a Bullet and not so much as a Knick. In retirement The Pearl is a favorite Knick now after all.

Pearl did a wonderful job of adjusting his game to play successfully with Clyde though which I’ve always admired him for.

 

[bamafan]

There was a series where, Reed and Unseld were rebounding machines, Wes had like 33 in a game, so, of course, the next night, Willis came back and had 35 rebounds.

Imagine 35 rebounds in one game, amazing. Both were undersized Centers, especially Wes Unseld.

Entire teams don't get 35 rebounds.

Bradley and Marin wore each other out, scurrying around the court on offense, never staying in the same spot for more than two seconds, whirling dervishes, always trying to break free from the other one.

DeBuscherre and Gus Johnson, Mano-a-Mano, brute force, Dave a better outside shooter, Gus a better inside force.

Those were the days.

I favored the 1969-70 teams over 72-73 cause of Barnett, and I always remembered The Pearl as a Bullet and not so much as a Knick. In retirement The Pearl is a favorite Knick now after all.

Not sure if it’s same game you were referencing but remember Willis having a playoff game vs Bullets where he scored 36 points along with 36 rebounds. Remember it well because my dad forced me to go to the movies with him and I had my transitor radio at my ear as low as I could to listen to the game.

 

[dalydoseofhoops]

One of the greatest privileges of my life was taking Dick Barnett’s psychology of coaching class when I was a sophomore at SJU 20 years ago. So many great Knick stories and although I didn’t know it then, a good breakdown of different coaching styles and systems that I realized later on once I started covering basketball more often.

RIP to a beautiful man.

 

[Ralph318!]

Not sure if it’s same game you were referencing but remember Willis having a playoff game vs Bullets where he scored 36 points along with 36 rebounds. Remember it well because my dad forced me to go to the movies with him and I had my transitor radio at my ear as low as I could to listen to the game.

You guys are great with these memories. Fantastic. Like us old timers, CRP was there too. He wants STJ to play like that, with Zuby as Willis.
Also, a very young Marv Albert was the Radio Announcer. Great stuff!!!! Thanks guys!!!!

 

[Sherman Sheridan & Grant]

In the schoolyards, many of us did. Not for game situations but trying to replicate it and still shoot with any accuracy. Nearly all failed even when just shooting around, and I never saw a single player in any type of organized ball use that kick that was uniquely Barnett.

Your comment though calls to mind just how many kids copied the mannerisms and moves of Frazier, Monroe, Bradley, etc. When I went out for the team at a CUNY school there was a black kid who not only copied the on court moves of Earl Monroe (with much less success) but even when he sauntered into the gym, other kids identified him as mimicking Monroe.

The old Knicks captivated NY and elevated interest in basketball at all city and suburban playgrounds by THAT much.

Footnote: When I was a kid, and after the 1st championship, Narnett spoke at our CYO awards breakfast. He was a great, caring speaker and obviously very bright and well spoken. In those days we were lucky to see away games on tv as home games were blacked out. Without the media blitz of today we mostly never heard guts like Barnett ever speak, so that was a memorable event.

Great posts Beast and others!
God bless you Dick!


SS&G

 

[redken1]

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