Ernie Drew "Black Jack" Barrett (August 27, 1929 – April 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas State Wildcats. He was selected by the Celtics in the first round of the 1951 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1929 Pratt, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | April 21, 2023 (aged 93) Manhattan, Kansas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wellington (Wellington, Kansas) |
| College | Kansas State (1948–1951) |
| NBA draft | 1951: 1st round, 7th overall pick |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Playing career | 1951–1956 |
| Position | Forward / guard |
| Number | 23 |
| Career history | |
| 1953–1954, 1955–1956 | Boston Celtics |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 641 (4.9 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 343 (2.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 229 (1.7 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
College and professional career edit
Barrett was recruited by coaches including, Phog Allen and Henry Iba, but he chose to attend Kansas State University to play for Jack Gardner and Tex Winter in 1947.
Barrett led the Wildcats to the national championship game in 1951. He suffered a shoulder injury in the semi-finals against Oklahoma A&M, and his injury heavily impacted the Wildcats, who lost in the title game.[1]
Barrett was selected by the Boston Celtics in the 1st round (7th pick overall) of the 1951 NBA draft and played for the Celtics (1953–54, 1955–56) in the NBA for 131 games.
Personal life and death edit
A local restaurant, is named Mr. K's in Barrett's honor. He helped raise money for many athletic facilities that are still in use. He has a statue, which depicts him extending his right arm for a handshake.
Barrett died in Manhattan, Kansas, on April 21, 2023, at the age of 93.[2]
Career statistics edit
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA edit
Source[3]
Regular season edit
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–54 | Boston | 59 | 10.9 | .314 | .560 | 1.7 | .9 | 2.3 |
| 1955–56 | Boston | 72 | 20.2 | .388 | .788 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 7.0 |
| Career | 131 | 16.0 | .369 | .748 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 4.9 | |
Playoffs edit
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Boston | 6 | 10.5 | .150 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.3 |
| 1956 | Boston | 3 | 14.3 | .308 | 1.000 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| Career | 9 | 11.8 | .212 | 1.000 | 1.4 | .9 | 2.1 | |
References edit
- ^ "The man, the myth, the handshake: Mr. K-State still going strong at 89". kansas.com. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ "K-State Mourns the Passing of Mr. K-State Ernie Barrett". K State Sports. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Ernie Barrett NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
 | This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |