Walt Frazier was a mid-major star at Southern Illinois, where he averaged more than 18 points and almost 12 rebounds per game as a senior, and the New York Knicks took at shot on the 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete with the fifth overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft.
He wound up becoming their point guard for the next decade.
An All-Rookie pick as a reserve in 1967-68, Frazier grabbed the reins at the point the following season and went on to become a seven-time All-Star and MVP of the 1975 All-Star Game, a six-time All-NBA selection and a seven-time All-Defensive pick and finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1969-70, when he was second in the league in assists.
He was third in the NBA in 1968-69, fourth in 1973-74 and fifth in 1970-71, also finishing third in minutes per game in 1975-76, fourth in 1970-71 and fifth in 1973-74 and 1974-75. When the steal category came into existence, he was second in that category in 1974-75.
He averaged 17.6 points, 10.4 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 43.1 minutes per game in the 1970 NBA Finals, shooting 54.1 percent from the floor and 75.6 percent from the line in New York’s seven-game win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the 1972 NBA Finals, he averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 45.4 minutes per game on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor and 70.4 percent accuracy at the stripe, but the Lakers won in five games.
Frazier put up 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the five-game win over Los Angeles in the 1973 NBA Finals, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and going 13-for-20 at the foul line.
His end with the Knicks was an awkward one, awarded in October 1977 to the Cleveland Cavaliers as compensation for New York’s signing of veteran free agent Jim Cleamons.
In 10 seasons with the Knicks, Frazier averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 38.2 minutes per game, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 78.3 percent at the line.
Frazier was slowed by injuries in Cleveland and retired after he was waived in October 1979.
He is 21st in NBA history with an average of 37.5 minutes per game.
Frazier was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
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