Warriors Broadcaster Barnett Recalls NBA Legends, League Evolution
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- When the Warriors take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, a familiar voice to Golden State fans will not be part of the game broadcasts.
With the Finals being broadcast on ABC Network, CSN Bay Area analyst Jim Barnett will not be working but will be watching. Barnett is a basketball "lifer", drafted into the NBA 50 years ago after an All-America career at the University of Oregon.
Barnett played for 11 years in the NBA, three of those with the Warriors. He never won a championship ring, although he got one when the Warriors claimed the title last year.
It's not the same, Barnett told KCBS Sports Anchor Steve Bitker. "I'm not going to say I got a championship ring," said Barnett. "It's counterfeit. It's not my ring. I didn't earn it. I never made a hoop."
In a wide-ranging interview conducted at Oracle Arena, Barnett talked about the sociological changes he played through ("When I came into the league, I'd say 60 to 70 percent of the players were white, and when I left, 60 to 70 percent were black") and shared stories about the legends with whom he crossed paths with, such as Dr. J, Bill Russell, and Don Nelson.
Of Russell, who famously wouldn't sign autographs: "He told me if I weren't Bill Russell, that man would look at me as just another n----- on the street."
Listen to full interview:
