On this day in 1965: Rick Barry’s NBA debut — 17 and 10 against West’s Lakers

Sixty years ago tonight, a 21-year-old rookie out of the University of Miami pulled on a San Francisco Warriors jersey for the first time that counted. On October 15, 1965, Rick Barry made his NBA debut at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium against Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers. He finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds — a double-double in his first regular-season game, and the opening line of one of the most distinctive scoring careers the league has seen.

The night itself did not end the way the Warriors wanted. The Lakers won the home opener 122-115. NBA.com’s “This Date in the NBA” archive marks the date as Barry’s debut, but its one-line summary has San Francisco winning; the Basketball-Reference box score, and Barry’s own 1965-66 game log, show a seven-point loss. The rookie’s first win came four nights later, 100-99 over Cincinnati.

The debut box

Barry played 29 minutes under coach Alex Hannum, shot 8 of 20 from the field and made his only free throw. He added 3 assists and picked up 5 fouls, a reminder that even future Hall of Famers spend their first night learning how NBA officials call the game. The 10 rebounds came alongside a monster night from Nate Thurmond, who played 46 minutes and pulled down 27 boards to go with 20 points.

San Francisco had real scoring around its rookie. Paul Neumann led the Warriors with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, Guy Rodgers added 22 points and 8 assists, and Tom Meschery chipped in 9. It was not enough against West, who scored 36 on 13-of-28 shooting with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Rudy LaRusso had 23 and Leroy Ellis went 10 of 11 for 22 off the bench. The Lakers won even though Elgin Baylor managed only 8 points on 2-of-11 shooting.

• Result: Lakers 122, Warriors 115 — October 15, 1965, San Francisco Civic Auditorium.
• Barry: 29 minutes, 17 points (8-of-20 FG, 1-of-1 FT), 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 fouls.
• Warriors leaders: Paul Neumann 26 points; Guy Rodgers 22 points, 8 assists; Nate Thurmond 20 points, 27 rebounds.
• Lakers leaders: Jerry West 36 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists; Rudy LaRusso 23; Leroy Ellis 22; Walt Hazzard 14.
• Draft: First round, No. 4 overall, by San Francisco in 1965 out of Miami.

From a 17-and-10 opener to Rookie of the Year

The opener turned out to be a fair preview. Barry averaged 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds as a rookie, made the All-Rookie team and was named Rookie of the Year for 1965-66 on a Warriors team that finished 35-45. A year later he led the league at 35.6 points per game, won All-Star Game MVP and carried San Francisco to the 1967 Finals.

Then came the detour that made his career unlike anyone else’s. Barry left for the ABA’s Oakland Oaks, sat out a season while the move was fought over, and made his ABA debut on October 18, 1968. He became a four-time All-ABA pick before returning to the Warriors in 1972. In 1974-75 he averaged 30.6 points, led the league in steals and was Finals MVP as Golden State swept Washington for the franchise’s first title on the West Coast.

The underhand free throw

Barry’s most famous trademark was hiding in that first box score too: one attempt, one make. He shot free throws underhanded — the “granny shot” — and made nearly 90 percent of them across his career, a technique he has long championed. The Warriors’ own archive keeps it alive.

Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. His No. 24 hangs in the Warriors’ rafters. NBA.com’s video archive also carries a short “This Week in History” clip of the debut — the 17 and 10 against West’s Lakers that started it all, sixty years ago tonight.