Marvin Bad News barnes was the most talented player you never heard of. Well almost. You heard of David Thompson and Dr. J especially if you are a regular reader of this blog. Well Marvin Barnes was as good as both of them, just one problem …he wouldn’t show up for games…sometimes hence he was someone everyone missed out on watching regularly. He was great in college and should have been great in the pros but his off the court problems and his nack for being late to games or not showing at all held him back from greatness. But make no mistake Marvin Barnes in his limited time on the court was a legend.
As a 6’8″ forward, Barnes played at Providence College. In 1973, he was the first player to score 10 times on 10 field goal attempts in the NCAA playoffs, and remains tied for second behind Kenny Walker, who went 11-for-11 in 1986.[1] He led the nation in rebounding in 1973-74. On December 15, 1973, Barnes scored 52 points against Austin Peay, breaking the single-game school record.
He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the second overall pick in the first round of the 1974 NBA Draft and by the Spirits of St. Louis in the 1974 ABA Draft. Barnes opted for the ABA and played for the Spirits in the American Basketball Association from 1974 to 1976 before playing in the National Basketball Association from 1976 to 1980. He had his greatest success in the ABA, where he starred for the Spirits and was named Rookie of the Year for the 1974–75 season. He also shares the ABA record for most two-point field goals in a game, with 27. In 2005, the ABA 2000, the second incarnation of the ABA, named one of their divisions after him.His nickname, “Bad News,” came from his frequent off-court problems, which began when he was a senior at Central High School.
Smallthoughts: Old school Tuesday …salutes the troubled the talented …Marvin Bad News Barnes
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