Ex-Rockets Rick Barry Believes He Would Be 'Greater' In Modern Era
HOUSTON — NBA Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets guard Rick Barry believes he would be "even greater" had he played in the modern day.
Barry was a guest on the Joy DeAngela podcast. He did not neglect the evolution of the game since his heyday from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. But Barry's stance comes from his belief in advanced sports technology and superior care on road trips.
"If you really understood the game and you really knew what the difference was between when we played and the guys playing here, we had nothing to help us," Barry said.
"I didn’t have an agility coach. I didn’t have a dietician. I didn’t travel on charter planes; we didn’t have whirlpools. We didn’t have saunas, and we didn’t have masseuses."
Whether or not his legacy would have been more prominent five decades later, the accomplishments of Barry's career are impressive despite his lack of resources.
Barry began his career in 1965 with the Then-San Francisco Warriors as a first-round pick (No. 2 overall). He established himself as one of the greatest scorers in league history, scoring 25,275 career points without a 3-point field goal.
As an eight-time All-Star, Barry led the Warriors to their first championship in 1975. By leading Golden State to a 4-0 sweep over the Washington Bullets, Barry received Finals MVP. He averaged 29.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 steals.
Barry, who was also Rookie of the Year in 1966, is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
"If I played today, I would be faster — and I was pretty fast then," Barry said. "I've been faster, quicker and more endurance. I would be a better basketball player because I had none of those things available.
"It is crazy how much better the guys I played with, Oscar Roberson, Jerry West. As good as we were, we would be even greater playing today."
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