Walt Frazier

Walt Frazier

Walt Frazier working as Knicks announcer during a game
No. 10, 11
Point guard
Personal information
Date of birth	March 29, 1945 (1945-03-29) (age 66)
Place of birth	Atlanta, Georgia
Nationality	American
High school	David T. Howard (Atlanta, Georgia)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
College	Southern Illinois (1963–1964, 1967)
NBA Draft	1967 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the New York Knicks
Pro career	1967–1980
League	NBA
Career history
1967–1977	New York Knicks
1977–1980	Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA Champion (1970, 1973) 7× NBA All-Star (1970–1976) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1975) 4 ×All-NBA First Team (1970, 1972, 1974–1975) 2× All-NBA Second Team (1971, 1973) 7× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969–1975) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1968) #10 Retired by the New York Knicks NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
Career NBA statistics
Points	15,581 (18.9 ppg)
Rebounds	4,830 (5.9 rpg)
Assists	5,040 (6.1 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Frazier with fans signing a basketball

Walter "Clyde" Frazier (born March 29, 1945, in Atlanta, Georgia) is a retired American basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was blessed with a unique combination of court vision, quickness, and size (he stands 6'4") for a guard. As their floor general, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's only two NBA Championships (1970 & 1973), and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Upon his retirement from basketball, Frazier went into broadcasting; he is currently the color commentator for telecasts of Knicks games on the MSG Network.

High school and colleges

The eldest of nine children, Frazier attended Atlanta's David Tobias Howard High School. He quarterbacked the football team and played catcher on the baseball team. He learned basketball on a rutted and dirt playground, the only facility available at his all-black school in the racially segregated South of the 1950s. After having a great career at Howard, Frazier attended Southern Illinois University. Although he was offered other scholarships for his football skills, Frazier accepted a basketball offer from Southern Illinois University.

Frazier wasted no time in becoming one of the premier collegiate basketball players in the country. He was named a Division II All-American in 1964 and 1965. In 1965, Frazier led SIU to the NCAA Division II Tournament only to lose in the finals to Evansville 85-82 in overtime. In 1966, he was academically ineligible for basketball.

In 1967, with Frazier playing at point guard, SIU won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), beating Marquette University 71-56. Frazier was named MVP of the 1967 tournament.

There was also controversy about SIU's "small school" status which kept them out of the more prestigious NCAA tournament.^[1]

Professional career

Frazier was selected by the New York Knicks with the 5th pick in the 1967 NBA Draft and played for them during which time he picked up the nickname "Clyde" because he wore a similar hat to Warren Beatty who played Clyde Barrow in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde.^{[citation needed]} He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1968. He was an NBA All-Star seven times (and was named MVP of the 1975 NBA All-Star Game), was named to the All-NBA First Team four times, the All-NBA Second Team twice, and the All-Defensive First Team seven times. With Frazier, the Knicks captured the NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. After 10 years in New York, Frazier ended his career as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, widely known for an injured Willis Reed's inspiring appearance onto the court, it was Clyde who was the unsung hero putting up an astounding 36 points and 19 assists leading the Knicks to their first NBA championship.

Frazier held Knicks franchise records for most games (759), minutes played (28,995), field goals attempted (11,669), field goals made (5,736), free throws attempted (4,017), free throws made (3,145), assists (4,791) and points (14,617). Center Patrick Ewing would eventually break most of those records, but Frazier's assists record still stands.

Frazier was also one of the first players to make stealing the ball an art form. He would make sudden steals and surprise the offense. When asked about his defensive success, he answered that he did not believe in contact defense. Instead, he defended in such a manner that it appeared he was not playing defense. When he did so, the offensive player was often tricked into letting his guard down whereby Frazier would steal the ball with his quick hands.

Broadcasting career

Frazier currently works as a commentator alongside Mike Breen for MSG Network telecasts of Knicks games. He also worked with Breen previously on the radio broadcasts before his switch to television in 1997, and also worked on Knicks games with Marv Albert. As a broadcaster, Frazier has coined many rhyming phrases, such as "dishing and swishing", "duping and hooping", "posting and toasting", "wheeling and dealing", "winning and grinning", "using and abusing", "shaking and baking", "bounding and astounding," etc.

Honors

Walt Frazier's #10 jersey was retired by the New York Knicks on December 15, 1979.

In 1987, Walt Frazier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with Pete Maravich and Rick Barry.

In 1996, he was elected to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Career statistics

Career highs

Top assist games

Occurred in playoff competition

Assists	Opponent	Home/Away	Date	Minutes played	Points	Rebounds
19	Los Angeles Lakers	Home	01970-05-08 May 8, 1970	44	36	7
17	Baltimore Bullets	Away	01969-03-30 March 30, 1969		26
16	Philadelphia 76ers	Away	01969-01-22 January 22, 1969		22
16	Los Angeles Lakers	Home	01969-02-18 February 18, 1969		30
16	Philadelphia 76ers	Away	01969-03-09 March 9, 1969		18
16	San Francisco Warriors	Home	01969-10-23 October 23, 1969		18
16	Phoenix Suns	Away	01969-12-28 December 28, 1969	42	12	1

40 point games

Frazier scored 40 or more points five times in the regular season.

Points	Opponent	Home/Away	Date	Minutes played	FGM	FGA	FTM	FTA	Rebounds	Assists
44	Los Angeles Lakers	Away	01973-11-02 November 2, 1973	46	20	28	4	4	7	5
43	San Diego Rockets	Home	01969-10-30 October 30, 1969		14	22	15	19
43	Phoenix Suns	Away	01975-01-11 January 11, 1975	48	17	24	9	10	3	5
41	Cincinnati Royals	Home	01972-01-01 January 1, 1972	45	17	24	7	8	9	3
41	Indiana Pacers	Away	01977-03-31 March 31, 1977	45	12	20	17	20	7	11

Regular season

Stat	High	Opponent	Date
Points	44	at Los Angeles Lakers	01973-11-02 November 2, 1973
Points, half (2nd)	29	vs. Cincinnati Royals	01972-01-01 January 1, 1972
Field goal percentage	18—22 (.818)	at Buffalo Braves	01971-12-17 December 17, 1971
Field goals made	20	at Los Angeles Lakers	01973-11-02 November 2, 1973
Field goal attempts	28	at Los Angeles Lakers	01973-11-02 November 2, 1973
Free throws made, none missed	—
Free throws made, one missed	—
Free throws made	17	at Indiana Pacers	01977-03-31 March 31, 1977
Free throw attempts	20	at Indiana Pacers	01977-03-31 March 31, 1977
Rebounds	16
Steals	6	at Indiana Pacers	01977-03-31 March 31, 1977
Blocked shots

Playoffs

Stat	High	Opponent	Date
Points	38
Field goal percentage
Field goals made	16
Field goal attempts	31
Free throws made, none missed	12—12	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	01970-05-08 May 8, 1970
Free throws made, one missed	—
Free throws made	12	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	01970-05-08 May 8, 1970
Free throw attempts	15
Rebounds	16
Assists	19	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	01970-05-08 May 8, 1970
Steals
Blocked shots

Trivia

• While he was a steely, no-nonsense competitor in games, Frazier was known for his flamboyant sense of style off of the court. Bringing glamor to Madison Square Garden, Frazier would arrive at games in a Rolls Royce, dressed in designer suits, broad-brimmed Borsalino hats, and full-length mink coats.
• Frazier is well-known as a spokesman for Just for Men hair products, along with former New York Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez. Denzel Washington's character "Keith Frazier" in the film Inside Man was named after the duo.
• Frazier became one of the first NBA players to have his own signature shoe model when he endorsed the eponymous suede Clydes athletic shoes made by Puma. The shoe has proven to be very popular over the years, and is in its third decade of production.

Notes

1. ^ Small World - TIME

External links

• NBA Encyclopedia
• Basketball Hall of Fame profile
• Frazier's Career Statistics
• Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
• Walt Frazier (in the New Georgia Encyclopedia)
• Clyde TV

Preceded by Bob Lanier

NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1975

Succeeded by Dave Bing

Persondata
Name	Frazier, Walt
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 29, 1945
Place of birth	Atlanta, Georgia
Date of death
Place of death