This year will mark the 22nd time the Warriors have a lottery pick in the NBA Draft since 1985 (the first year of the NBA Draft Lottery). Past Warriors lottery picks have included Warrior greats like Stephen Curry (7th overall, 2009), Klay Thompson (11th, 2011) and Chris Mullin (7th, 1985).
But how many times has the Warriors franchise had the second overall pick thanks to the NBA Draft Lottery?
The answer: never.
It was 55 years ago, back in 1965, when the Warriors last had the second selection in the draft, which was well before the first NBA Draft Lottery. In fact, the 1965 draft was the only time in the Warriors’ 71-year franchise history the team has held the second pick in an NBA Draft.
And how did that second overall pick turn out for the Warriors? Pretty well if you ask us.
With the second overall pick of the 1965 draft, the Warriors selected none other than Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry.
[embedded content]
Barry had two separate stints with the Warriors between 1965-67 and 1972-78, playing in the ABA between those stints.
In his first season, Barry averaged 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds to claim the 1965-66 Rookie of the Year award. The following season, he led the league with 35.6 points per game. In his eight seasons with the Dubs, Barry averaged 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
His crowning achievement was leading the Warriors to their first title on the West Coast in the 1974-75 season. Between the NBA and ABA, Barry was a 12-time All-Star including the 1966-67 All-Star Game MVP, six-time All-NBA Team honoree and four-time All-ABA Team honoree, among other accomplishments.
Barry amassed 25,279 points scored between both leagues, making him the fourth-leading scorer in league history at the time of his retirement, trailing John Havlicek (26,395), Oscar Robertson (26,710), and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419). He currently sits tied with Reggie Miller for 24th on the all-time scorers list. Additionally, he holds the honor of being the only player to ever lead the NCAA, NBA and ABA in scoring.
And he did it all with his signature underhanded free throws.
Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History in 1996 by a panel of media members, along with former and current players general managers.
Barry’s No. 24 hangs in the rafters of Chase Center, never to be worn by another Warrior again.
Not a bad career resume for the only second overall pick the Warriors have ever had. Now the question remains: what will come of the team’s 2020 first round draft pick?
