Nicknamed the 'Miami Greyhound' by longtime San Francisco Bay Area broadcaster Bill King because of his long and slender physical build, whippet-like quickness, and remarkable instincts, the 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Barry won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in the 1965–66 season. In Barry's first season in the NBA with the San Francisco Warriors, the team made a quantum leap from 17 to 35 victories and was in playoff contention until the final game of the regular season. Professional career San Francisco Warriors (1965–1967) Barry's publicity photo in 1972 He and his teammates did not take part in the NCAA Tournament, however, because the Hurricanes' program was on probation at the time.īarry was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors with the second pick of the 1965 NBA draft.īarry was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, and his number 24 jersey is one of only two have been retired by the Hurricanes. In the 1964–65 campaign, the senior led the NCAA with a 37.4 points per game average. It was there that the three-time All-American met his future wife Pamela, who was the daughter of the head coach. College careerīarry fielded more than 30 scholarship offers before he chose University of Miami, largely because the Hurricanes adhered to an up-tempo, pro-style system under head coach Bruce Hale that was conducive to his skills set and athleticism. In 1962, he graduated from Roselle Park High School in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Barry would wear the same number in tribute to the outfielder throughout his basketball career. He was a fan of local New York Giants superstar Willie Mays, who wore jersey number 24. As a fifth-grader, he played with the varsity basketball team, for which his father Aldo served as coach, but baseball was his best sport. 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.īarry was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and grew up in nearby Roselle Park, an urban middle-class community. īarry is the father of former professional basketball players Brent Barry, Jon Barry, Drew Barry, and Scooter Barry, and current professional player Canyon Barry. 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. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1987, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 900 percentage was the best of any NBA player at the time of his retirement in 1980.

He is one of only four players to be a part of a championship team in both leagues.īarry is widely known for his unorthodox underhand free throw technique. Barry was also the only player to score at least 50 points in a Game 7 of the playoffs in either league until Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum both reached that mark in 2023. He ranks as the all-time ABA scoring leader in regular season (30.5 points per game) and postseason (33.5) play, while his 36.3 points per game are the most in the NBA Finals history. He is the only one to lead the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), ABA, and NBA in points per game in a season. Barry ranks among the most prolific scorers and all-around players in basketball history. Richard Francis Dennis Barry III (born March 28, 1944) is an American retired professional basketball player who starred at the NCAA, American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) levels. Consensus first-team All-American ( 1965).

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