Walt Frazier
(Born 1945)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1987
Card Shown:
2014-15 Panini Flawless
Association Autographs
Position: PG
Height: 6’4″
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Walt “Clyde” Frazier starred in college at Southern Illinois, where he led his team to become the first small school to win the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Walt was then drafted by the New York Knicks. He was a floor general with quick hands who prided himself on his defense. Frazier helped lead the New York Knicks to two NBA championships and in 1996 Walt was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.
Awards and Honors
- Walt helped lead New York to the 1970 NBA championship where they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3. He had a tremendous Game 7 with 36 points, 19 assists, and 5 steals to propel the Knicks to victory.
- Frazier was the leading scorer on the 1973 NBA Champion Knicks team with 21.1 points per game during the regular season. The Knicks defeated the Lakers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, in five games.
- From 1970-1976, Walt played in seven consecutive NBA All-Star games. He was named the 1975 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
- Beginning in his second season in 1968-69, Frazier was selected as All-Defensive First Team for seven consecutive years.
- Walt was also a four-time All-NBA First Team selection and a two-time All-NBA Second Team selection during his thirteen-year professional career.
Points of Interest
- In the 1970s, Frazier personified cool. He was known for the stylish way in which he dressed and basked in the limelight of New York City.
- Walt has said that defense was his favorite part of the game of basketball and it was with defense that the Knicks won their first NBA championship. Their 1969-70 defense allowed only 105.9 points per game, almost six points per game better than the second-rated defense.
- On December 15, 1979, the Knicks retired Frazier’s number 10 jersey in a ceremony at Madison Square Garden.
- When Walt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 he joined four other members who had already been inducted from the 1973 NBA champion Knicks team. Preceding him were Jerry Lucas (1979), Willis Reed (1982), Bill Bradley (1983), and Dave DeBusschere (1983). Earl Monroe, the 6th and final Hall of Fame player from that team, was inducted in 1990.
- During his career, Frazier had averages of 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.
Statistics
Walt Frazier Statistics
provided by Basketball-Reference.com