Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
Barry was one of the NBA’s scoring maestros of the 1970s. He won a championship (and Finals MVP) in 1975 with the Golden State Warriors.
Over 14 pro seasons (10 in the NBA, 4 in the ABA), he averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game to the tune of eight All-Star appearances six All-NBA selections. He was good from the get-go (1966 NBA Rookie of the Year) and an underrated defender (1975 steals champ).
Barry’s underhand free-throw shooting has become an iconic image through the years, but it was also quite effective, giving him a career 89.3 free throw percentage.
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In just his second NBA season (1966-67), he led the NBA in scoring at a 35.6 PPG clip. As a 6-foot-7 wing who could put the ball on the floor and shoot from anywhere, he was ahead of his time.
Barry was known as a fierce competitor with a brash personality, and he stayed around the game for years following his playing days as a broadcaster.
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Barry was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. “The only person in history to lead the NCAA, NBA, and ABA in scoring was never shy about getting his shot,” the official site for the Hall [wrote of Barry](https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/rick-barry/).
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“In fact, Rick Barry was an aggressive force who used any means necessary to score and ultimately to win. Playing with an unrivaled passion and competitive streak, Barry was known for his slashing drives to the hoop with such reckless abandon that they either landed him two points or a trip to the free throw line where he was automatic.”
Featured image via Manny Rubio/USA TODAY Sports