Long before Marvin Barnes got ousted from the NBA after just four seasons at in the league, he showed great promise of being the next big basketball star during his rookie campaign in the ABA. The 6'8" forward started his career on a high note after he became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to knock 10 shots without a miss.
Then, in his three seasons with the Providence Friars, he averaged 20.7 points and 17.9 rebounds to lead them to a 76-16 record during his time. Though his off-the-court activities were highly concerning, on the court, he lived up to the hype in his two-season spell with the Spirits of St. Louis.
Barnes casually took over the game
During the latter part of his rookie season, 'Bad News' established a precedent that would become characteristic of his tenure with the Spirits. Following a humbling 19-point loss against the Nets, the team was scheduled for an early morning departure from the New York airport, from where they had to travel for a back-to-back matchup against Virginia Squires in Norfolk.
While the most obvious expectation from every rookie is to be on time, Barnes was an exception; he missed the team flight because he couldn't get up early. As veteran Steve Jones recalled, coach Bob MacKinnon was getting anxious before the game in the locker room; Marvin entered with just 10 minutes remaining for the tip-off.
Though most rookies making such a mistake would be apologetic, the 2-time All-Star, who just chartered a private aircraft from New York, arrived most relaxed and self-assured.
"Marvin was wearing a big, wide-brimmed hat and his floor-length, $10,000 mink coat. He had a bag of McDonald's hamburgers and fries with him. Then he proclaimed, 'Have no fear; BB is here,'" Jones said in Terry Pluto's Loose Ball as quoted by Sportscasting . "He opened the coat, and underneath, he was wearing his Spirits uniform."
Even though Marvin's bold and confident attitude could have backfired if he had not performed well, that wasn't the case. Bob Costas recalled that he was legendary from the moment Barnes entered the game off the bench.
"Marvin ended up with 43 points and 19 rebounds," Costas recalled.
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The Spirits grew tired of his antics
Having averaged 24.1 points and 13.4 rebounds in his two-season spell for the Spirits, one might expect Barnes would have left a positive impression on everyone in the organization. However, this was not the case.
Owner Donald Schupak grew so frustrated with his antics that he candidly admitted the Rhode Island native was among the league's bottom 10 percent of players .
Safe to say that given the glimpses Barnes showcased, such as on a particular night in Norfolk, had he only had the dedication to focus on his game, Barnes could have gone down in basketball history as one of the most talented power forwards.
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