Barry, Rick (1944-…), ranks among the finest forwards in basketball history. Barry excelled as a scorer, passer, and defender. He was also one of the most accurate free-throw shooters in the history of the sport and was known for his unusual underhand free-throw shooting style.
Richard Francis Dennis Barry III was born on March 28, 1944, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He played at the University of Miami in Florida, winning All-American honors his senior year in 1965 and leading the country in scoring with an average of 37.4 points per game. Barry was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco (later Golden State) Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the league’s Rookie of the Year for 1965-1966. In his second season, Barry led the NBA in scoring, averaging 35.6 points.
In 1967, Barry signed to play in the American Basketball Association (ABA). He returned to the NBA in 1972 to play with the Warriors. He led the team to the NBA championship for the 1974-1975 season and was named the Most Valuable Player in the playoff finals. Barry signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets in 1978 and finished his playing career there, retiring in 1980. He was named to the NBA All-Star team eight times and to the ABA All-Star team four times. He later became a sports broadcaster and basketball analyst on television. Barry was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Alltime Team as one of the 50 Greatest Players. Barry’s sons Brent, Drew, and Jon all have played in the NBA.
