Rick Barry: The 1975 Warriors Sweep and That "Weird" Free-Throw Form

Among NBA scoring legends, Rick Barry is the most underrated yet the least imitable. Born in 1944 in New York, he starred at the University of San Francisco and became famous for a bizarre but lethal underhand free throw—the "granny" style—that, laugh all you want, carried a career 90% mark from the line.

The 1975 Finals was the footnote to Barry's peak. That Warriors team was not favored: just 48 wins in the regular season, against a Washington Bullets frontcourt of Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes. But Barry's all-around game—nearly 30 a night plus playmaking and defense—turned the series into a rout. Golden State swept 4-0, and he was the unquestioned Finals MVP. It was Barry's only championship and the franchise's first since moving to the Bay Area.

Related Reading

• 1975 NBA Finals MVP: Rick Barry (Golden State Warriors)
• 1975 Finals: A Cinderella Rout, Warriors Sweep the Bullets 4-0
• The Honor Roll: Scoring Title, Finals MVP and the Hall of Fame
• Historical Standing: Why Barry Is the "Most Underrated Scoring King"
• The "Granny" Free Throw: Barry’s Famous Oddity and 90% Touch