into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Professional career Syracuse Nationals Barnett was selected by the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) in the first round (4th overall) of the 1959 NBA draft. He was used in a sixth man role behind guards Larry Costello and Hal Greer. As a rookie, he averaged 12.4 points per game. In the 1960–61 season, he scored 16.9 points, which ranked seventh among the league's backcourt players. Cleveland Pipers In 1961, he signed with the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League (ABL), which were owned by George Steinbrenner (the future owner of the New York Yankees) and coached by John McLendon. He was a part of the 1961–62 ABL Championship team. On December 21, 1961, the Nationals won a court order barring him from playing that season in the rival American Basketball League. Los Angeles Lakers On September 7, 1962, the Syracuse Nationals sold his player rights to the Los Angeles Lakers, for $35,000, which at the time was the highest player-for-money transaction in league history. He was also used in a sixth man role with the Lakers, behind Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. He helped the team win the Western Division title after West missed 27 games with a leg injury. Famous Laker announcer Chick Hearn nicknamed him "Fall Back Baby". Off the court, he was also known for his sharp wit. He averaged 16.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his 3 seasons with the team. New York Knicks On October 14, 1965, he was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Bob Boozer and cash considerations. 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. He scored 15,358 regular season points in his career. In 1990, the Knicks retired his No. 12 jersey in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. NBA career statistics Regular season |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Syracuse | 57 || – || 21.7 || .412 || – || .711 || 2.7 || 2.8 || – || – || 12.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Syracuse | 78 || – || 26.5 || .452 || – || .712 ||