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Barnett's death was announced on Sunday afternoon by the New York Knicks via social media. "We are truly saddened to hear about the passing of Knicks legend Dr. Richard Barnett," the organization said in a statement.
"Through his illustrious career, Dick Barnett embodied everything it meant to be a New York Knick, both on-and-off the court." The Knicks added, "He left a positive impact on everyone he encountered and this organization is incredibly fortunate to have him be such an integral part of its history. His jersey will forever hang in the rafters of Madison Square Garden and his play throughout his career will forever be a part of Knicks fans memories.
" Barnett — a lefty who was known for his unconventional "Fall Back Baby" jump shot — was a two-time NBA champion and 1968 NBA All-Star. In his 15-year professional career, Barnett spent nine seasons with the Knicks. His No.
12 jersey was retired by the organization in 1990. Longtime friend and associate Chuck Hughes refers to Barnett as a Historically Black College and University legend. Barnett — who played for Tennessee A&I State College — was the first HBCU graduate to be drafted to the NBA as a first-round pick, getting selected fourth in the 1959 draft.
Barnett's alma mater, renamed to Tennessee State University, won three National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship titles during his college career. Barrett graduated in 1959 as the Tigers' all-time leading scorer with 3,209 points. Barnett cemented his legacy at Roosevelt by guiding his team to a state championship appearance in 1955.
The Panthers and Crispus Attucks (Indianapolis) marked the first time two predominantly Black high schools competed in the state finals. He was a member of the Gary Sports Hall of Fame's first class in 2014. Last year Barnett was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Hughes said Barnett checked off a lifelong goal of meeting Region native and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich in November 2023 at Madison Square Garden. "Dick Barnett is a big legend so it was hard to put together, but that was on his bucket list," Hughes recalled. "He wanted to meet Coach Pop so we arranged for that.
" Barnett and his teammates from the 1957, 1958 and 1959 championship squads at Tennessee State were invited to the White House last April to commemorate their previous achievements. Barnett and five surviving teammates participated in a round-table discussion in the Roosevelt Room. "There's so much that we have accomplished as a nation because of the heroes like those that I'm looking at right now," Vice President Kamala Harris previously told the team.
"I, like so many of us, stand on your broad shoulders, each one of you.".
