Presented here is Hall of Famer Rick Barry's snazzy 1978 NBA All-Star Game worn jersey. A fixture on basketball's all-time lists, the sharp-shooting small forward is still under-appreciated in both his personal and team accomplishments. While Barry may have been ridiculed at times for unothodox "granny-goose" free-through form, his 90% career efficiency at the line speaks for itself. Apart from a four-year stint in the ABA (five if you include the transition year he was forced to sit out due to the reserve clause), he spent the majority of his career in the Bay Area with the Warriors. Named Rookie of the Year in 1966 after averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds, Barry put up 35.6 ppg as an NBA sophomore to lead the league in scoring. He would later take the Warriors all the way to an NBA title in 1975, earning Finals MVP in the process.
1978 marked the eighth and final time Rick Barry appeared in the NBA All-Star Game (12th if you include the ABA). It was also his last year in a Warriors uniform before finishing up his 14-year pro career as a Houston Rocket. Starting at forward for the West in the '78 mid-season exhibition played at The Omni in Atlanta, Barry tallied 15 points, grabbed 4 boards and dished out five assists before fouling out. Of course, he was a perfect 1-for-1 at the stike.
The bright red jersey has a racing-stripe design as part of its patriotic red, white and blue style, creatively intersecting the 'S' in "WEST with the first 'S' in "STARS" like a game of scrabble on the front. Five blue stars align vertically down the white and red stripes on the right side, which is adjacent to an outer-right blue section running the length of the tank-top shirt. Russell Athletic tagging appears behind the collar and on the left front tail indicating his size "L" and "42" as well as the materials and wash instructions. Interestingly enough, the collar tag reads "BERRY"; thankfully, they got the spelling right on the reverse. His sewn-on last name "BARRY" is arched across the back with his large No. "24" below. All letters are done in white tackle twill, while the numbers come in blue.
All of these unique features and colors are critical in matching this as a 1978 Western Conference ASG jersey. (The color scheme is completely reversed for '78 Eastern Conference jerseys.) Stitching and tagging are all-original with no alterations of any kind. Overalll, the shirt displays the level of wear that is expected of a one-time use All-Star jersey, with some lightly frayed stitching. Includes a MEARS LOA with a perfect A10 grade.