#dickbarnett

Race prevades everything in America but you got to fight it.

I just finished watching the 2022 PBS documentary The Dream Whisperer which follows the efforts of Dick Barnett, who led the struggle to get the Naismith Hall of Fame (that's the one in Springfield,Mass) to induct his Alma mater, Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial (now Tennessee State University) into The Hall of Fame for their three consecutive Men's Championships in NAIA college basketball.

According to IMG Academy: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) includes nearly 14% of four-year college athletes which typically offer a small-college experience like D3 with a partial scholarship model like D2. There are 250 colleges competing in NAIA sports, with an average undergrad enrollment of 1,846. Student-athletes make up more than 1/3 of the student body at the average NAIA institution. A number of historically black colleges and universities-such as Tennessee A & I existed in this category.

The first truly organized effort to add this 3 time champion team (1957-59) into the HoF took place in 2011. It was not until 2019 that Doctor Richard Barnett, Doctorate from Fordham, member of the New York Knicks two NBA championships (1970/73) and the captain of these 3 teams.

It is important to mention a few additional things:

1. NAIA schools traditionally played other small schools. It can be asked should small schools get in the HoF when many larger NCAA championship programs have not been included even today?

2. On the other hand, it is impossible to know just how good these schools are.were when they don't get to play major universities in the Division I arena. By the way, this will no doubt become a bigger issue with college basketball with the consolidation of the Power 4 conferences who have so many member schools that the will find less need to even play the Mid-Major programs; Begging the question who good are those smaller programs when they are not given the opportunity to play the bigger schools.

3. If this was just an effort to reward the best programs in the U. S. College history, the efforts would probably never have been successful. Clearly we see this documentary as a chance to revisit some very ugly, racist incidents during this team's struggles. One such mention has to be at 15:51 where they discuss that after winning the championship, in 1957, the players got off their airplane in Nashville and immediately proceeded to a segregated luncheon counter in their home city. Yes, they were all denied entry.

Dick Barnett: Member of both N.Y. Knicks Championship Teams

Barnett was born in Gary, Indiana, on October 2, 1936. He died on April 27, 2025 (aged 88) Largo, Florida, U.S.  [1]  

New York Knicks

On October 14, 1965, Barnett was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Bob Boozer and cash considerations.[2] In his first season, he led the team in scoring with a 23.1 average. In 1968, he made his only All-Star appearance.

In 1970, he helped the Knicks beat the Lakers for the NBA title. In 1973, he contributed to the team winning a second championship against the Lakers. He was released on October 23, 1973.[3] 

Doctorate In Education Fordham University 1991

Barnett taught Sports Management at St. John's University in New York City from 2003 to 2007.(4)

Basketball Fall Of Fame (Inducted in 2024)

Too Late...Fall Back Baby. So went the refrain from Dick Barnett whenever he knew that his shot was on target. And more often than not, the unorthodox lefty knew that his shot was on target. Barnett, a native of Gary, Indiana, played basketball at Roosevelt High School, an all-Black vestige of the Hoosier State’s Jim Crow laws. He thrived at Roosevelt, leading the team to the state final in 1955. From Gary, Barnett headed south to play for John McLendon at Tennessee A&I, a small HBCU that formed the first dynasty in college basketball. McLendon’s Tigers won three consecutive national championships starting in 1957. Barnett earned All-America honors each season and twice was named MVP of the NAIA Tournament. Barnett was selected by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1959 NBA Draft and spent the next 15 years playing professionally. His nine seasons with the New York Knicks included two NBA titles and one All-Star appearance. Barnett’s one-year hiatus from the NBA produced a championship with the Cleveland Pipers of the ABL, cementing his status as one of basketball’s all-time winners.(5)

The Dr. Richard Barnett Foundation (DRBF) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide higher-education scholarships and internship opportunities to motivated New York City youth with incredible potential but limited financial resources. Through extensive educational, mental health, and mentorship programming, the DRBF strives to inspire our youth to chase their dreams and to empower them with the resources and support they need to get there. Web site: https://www.drbfny.org/

The Dream Whisperer

According to IMDb:com In the midst of segregation, the all-Black Tennessee A&I Tigers made history by winning three straight national championships. Captain Dick Barnett fought to secure recognition for his team.

“I call myself the dream whisperer because everything starts with a dream.” (Dr. Richard Barnett)

Here is the PBS link (it runs 57 minutes.) https://www.pbs.org/video/the-dream-whisperer-aCN580/

Review of The Dream Whisperer

 I just finished watching the 2022 PBS documentary The Dream Whisperer which follows the efforts of Dick Barnett,  who led the struggle to get the Naismith Hall of Fame (that's the one in Springfield,Mass) to induct his Alma mater, Tennessee Agricultural  & Industrial (now Tennessee State University) into The Hall of Fame for their three consecutive Men’s Championships in NAIA college basketball. 

According to IMG Academy: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) includes nearly 14% of four-year college athletes which typically offer a small-college experience like D3 with a partial scholarship model like D2. There are 250 colleges competing in NAIA sports, with an average undergrad enrollment of 1,846. Student-athletes make up more than ⅓ of the student body at the average NAIA institution. A number of historically black colleges and universities–such as  Tennessee A & I existed in this category. 

The first truly organized effort to add this 3 time champion team (1957-59) into the HoF took place in 2011. It was not until 2019 that Doctor Richard Barnett, Doctorate from Fordham, member of the New York Knicks two NBA championships (1970/73) and the captain of these 3 teams.

It is important to mention a few additional things: 

1. NAIA schools traditionally played other small schools. It can be asked should small schools get in the HoF when many larger NCAA championship programs have not been included even today? 

2. On the other hand, it is impossible to know just how good these schools are.were when they don’t get to play major universities in the Division I arena. By the way, this will no doubt become a bigger issue with college basketball with the consolidation of the Power 4 conferences who have so many member schools that they will find less need to even play the Mid-Major programs; Begging the question who good are those smaller programs when they are not given the opportunity to play the bigger schools. 

3. If this was just an effort to reward the best programs in the U.S. College history, the efforts would probably never have been successful. Clearly we see this documentary as a chance to revisit some very ugly, racist incidents during this team’s struggles. One such mention has to be at 15:51 where they discuss that after winning the championship, in 1957, the players got off their airplane in Nashville and immediately proceeded to a segregated luncheon counter in their home city. Yes, they were all denied entry.

A powerful documentary narrated by a great basketball player and a great champion for racial justice. Dick Barnett.(October 2, 1936 – April 27, 2025).

References:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/27/sports/basketball/dick-barnett-dead.html

 "Knicks Acquire Dick Barnett In Trade As Boozer Goes To Los Angeles". The Record. October 15, 1965

Fort Lauderdale News. October 24, 1973. Retrieved February 14, 2021

https://now.fordham.edu/fordham-magazine/dick-barnett-knicks-legend-educator-and-fordham-grad-dies-at-88/

https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/dick-barnett

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