“When I came to the Knicks he was my idol.” Those were the words of Walt “Clyde” Frazier about his teammate Dick Barnett. It was fitting that Clyde was the one who made a surprise announcement of his champion teammate being inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. Everybody in the Knicks knew the moment was well deserved, as he was an integral part of the championship-winning ’70s team. But now the legend is sadly no more with us.
“We are terribly saddened to hear about the passing of Knicks legend, Dr. Richard Barnett. Throughout his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything meant to be a New York Knick, both on and off-the-court.” On Sunday afternoon, the New York Knicks announced the devastating loss of the franchise icon at the age of 88. As per reports, the 2x NBA champion passed peacefully in his sleep at a senior living center in Largo, Florida. Now his last year’s HOF moment feels even more emotional.
“Dick Barnett, great news he’s been inducted to the basketball hall of fame,” Clyde Frazier dropped the insider information during the broadcast last year. A fitting tribute, one might add. Barnett played for 14 seasons & was with the Knicks from 1965 to 74, where he won two championships in 1970 & 1973 and was an All-Star in 1968. The HoFer’s jersey #12 also hangs in the rafters as the Knicks retired it in 1990.
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