RIP Marvin Barnes | The Boneyard
.-.

RIP Marvin Barnes

Status
Not open for further replies.
superjohn

superjohn

Joined
Sep 16, 2011
Messages
54,041
Reaction Score
200,661
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...ction_type_map=["og.likes"]&action_ref_map=[] He was before my time but the stories I've heard about his game and off the court behavior are hard to believe. Any way you slice it Marvin "Bad News" Barnes was legendary. Saw him once in Providence and the guy looked larger than life. He blew most of his talent but deep down I think he was a good guy and he was as charismatic as they come.
 
I remember my father telling me stories about his games down at MSG and just how good he was for PeeCee back in the day. Wasn't exactly a saint off the basketball court but had unbelievable talent on it.

RIP "TIre Iron."
 
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198174

This is Beautiful:
“After the game, I saw [Marvin] in the dressing room and he started giving me his state of the Spirits speech. He told me, ‘Bro, you know what’s wrong with this team? We don’t have any team play. We don’t care about each other…Let me give you an example. Tonight, I had 48 points with two minutes to go. Did anybody pass me the ball so I could get 50? Huh? No, they just kept the ball to themselves and I got stuck on 48.’”
 
Last edited:
Ton of talent.........played like a center but also could handle it on the perimeter........ahead of his time in talent but way too many demons!!

Still sad.........RIP Marvin
 
More Marvin Barnes stories please. That "team play" thing was hilarious.
 
.-.
The Classic Marvin Barnes story:

ABA and NBA player Marvin "Bad News" Barnes apparently didn't get the concept of time zones. When told that his team flight would depart Louisville, KY at 9:00 A.M. (EST) and arrive in St. Louis, MO at 8:59 A.M. (CST) Barnes told team radio guy Bob Costas: "I don't know about you, but I ain't gettin' in no time machine."
 
I grew up in Bridgeport and went to high school in the early 70s. The basketball talent that was available in New England at that time is amazing. Imagine if just the all the guys from Bridgeport and new haven had gone to uconn. They may have challenged ucla. The list is incredible.
 
Horatio said:
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198174

This is Beautiful:
“After the game, I saw [Marvin] in the dressing room and he started giving me his state of the Spirits speech. He told me, ‘Bro, you know what’s wrong with this team? We don’t have any team play. We don’t care about each other…Let me give you an example. Tonight, I had 48 points with two minutes to go. Did anybody pass me the ball so I could get 50? Huh? No, they just kept the ball to themselves and I got stuck on 48.’”
Expand ...
Another great quote:

In the ABA, Marvin refused to get on a plane departing from Louisville at 8AM and arriving in St. Louis at 7:59AM. He said "I ain't getting on no time machine!"
 
Pretty sure the second half of the airplane story had Marvin(who didn't want to get up to take an early flight am to Virginia from NY) renting a private plane (?) and a limo to get him to the game-he was already late so he had the limo take him to a McDonalds. When he got to the game he had his uniform on under a full length fur coat.

He went to the bench holding a bag of burgers offered some to the coach.
The coach was po'd and had no intention of playing him but the team was already down in the game.
The coach put him in and he went for something like 40 pts. and 20 rebounds.
He also told the owner that there was a bill to be paid for the rentals.

I'm pretty sure Bob Costas told this story during a piece about MB and the ABA.
 
When I was in middle school, a buddy and I went to PC basketball camp the summer after that FF run. We were playing on the outdoor courts when in the lot above, a new Continental pulls up. This huge dude gets out and leans back on the front of the car to survey all he could see. Everyone just started talking in a whisper, "That's Marvin Barnes!... It's Marvin!...Marvin Bahnes!" My buddy says to me, "Who's Marvin Barnes?" A kid overhears and says, "You don't know Mahvin Bahnes? You don't know Mahvin Bahnes!" Immedately, others go, "Who don't know Mahvin Bahnes" Another yells out, "Hey Joey, this kid don't know Mahvin Bahnes!" Pretty soon it seemed like everyone wanted to see the kid who didn't know Mahvin Bahnes, most shaking their head in disgust.
 
.-.
Stinger92860 said:
I grew up in Bridgeport and went to high school in the early 70s. The basketball talent that was available in New England at that time is amazing. Imagine if just the all the guys from Bridgeport and new haven had gone to uconn. They may have challenged ucla. The list is incredible.
Expand ...

Problem is that most of them wouldn't have lasted past the first semester.
 
Sad story I happened to be in all places Providence when I heard the news. RIP to a basketball legend.
 
For you "kids" who never saw him play; Michael Smith is probably the best rebounder in the history of the BE. He could not even hold Marvin's jock. Everyone that ever saw him knew. He was one of the greatest basketball talents of all time. RIP Marvin!

I recommend Terry Pluto's book called Loose Balls for further ABA and Marvin lunacy.

One day after a game Marvin is standing in front of a mirror completely naked admiring himself, he calls Costas over and expecting to hear something profound what he is told. "Bob, the bitches be luvin me". Truly one of a kind
 
Waquoit said:
When I was in middle school, a buddy and I went to PC basketball camp the summer after that FF run. We were playing on the outdoor courts when in the lot above, a new Continental pulls up. This huge dude gets out and leans back on the front of the car to survey all he could see. Everyone just started talking in a whisper, "That's Marvin Barnes!... It's Marvin!...Marvin Bahnes!" My buddy says to me, "Who's Marvin Barnes?" A kid overhears and says, "You don't know Mahvin Bahnes? You don't know Mahvin Bahnes!" Immedately, others go, "Who don't know Mahvin Bahnes" Another yells out, "Hey Joey, this kid don't know Mahvin Bahnes!" Pretty soon it seemed like everyone wanted to see the kid who didn't know Mahvin Bahnes, most shaking their head in disgust.
Expand ...

I had the same experience when I was in high school...our whole team went to their camp when Ernie, Kevin, Frannie and Marvin were there. We were on the outside courts and a yellow car (thought it was an Eldorado but that was a long time ago) pulls up to the field house; we were on the outside courts. Marvin gets out with three girls...one carrying his gym bag, one with his sneakers and the last with a ball. We were in awe!
 
Richmondhsky said:
We were on the outside courts and a yellow car (thought it was an Eldorado but that was a long time ago) ...
Expand ...

That was the car! Yellow with a black vinyl roof, I though it was of those Lincoln "special editions".
 
Last edited:
Calhoun's Court said:
Pretty sure the second half of the airplane story had Marvin(who didn't want to get up to take an early flight am to Virginia from NY) renting a private plane (?) and a limo to get him to the game-he was already late so he had the limo take him to a McDonalds. When he got to the game he had his uniform on under a full length fur coat.

He went to the bench holding a bag of burgers offered some to the coach.
The coach was po'd and had no intention of playing him but the team was already down in the game.
The coach put him in and he went for something like 40 pts. and 20 rebounds.
He also told the owner that there was a bill to be paid for the rentals.

I'm pretty sure Bob Costas told this story during a piece about MB and the ABA.
Expand ...
yup during the aba 30 for 30. that was a great doc.
 
.-.
FriarJ said:
For you "kids" who never saw him play; Michael Smith is probably the best rebounder in the history of the BE. He could not even hold Marvin's jock. Everyone that ever saw him knew. He was one of the greatest basketball talents of all time. RIP Marvin!

I recommend Terry Pluto's book called Loose Balls for further ABA and Marvin lunacy.

One day after a game Marvin is standing in front of a mirror completely naked admiring himself, he calls Costas over and expecting to hear something profound what he is told. "Bob, the bitches be luvin me". Truly one of a kind
Expand ...

Loved Terry Pluto's book. Highly recommended .
 
Stinger92860 said:
I grew up in Bridgeport and went to high school in the early 70s. The basketball talent that was available in New England at that time is amazing. Imagine if just the all the guys from Bridgeport and new haven had gone to uconn. They may have challenged ucla. The list is incredible.
Expand ...
Wilbur Cross was the #1 team in the country around that time, for 2 years in a row. 2 Parade Mag AAs (Campbell and Williamson), and a TON of other talent.
 
uconnfan68 said:
Wilbur Cross was the #1 team in the country around that time, for 2 years in a row. 2 Parade Mag AAs (Campbell and Williamson), and a TON of other talent.
Expand ...

Bridgeport Central beat Cross for the state ll ship in 75 on an inbound from under the Cross basket with 3 seconds left. Soup and John were gone by then.The prior game had Rod Foster. I believe Harding may have also won their bracket with Matthews, McKay, Cannon and Murphy. Bagley had to be on that team. Bassick had Garris and Masuk had Gminski. Crazy talent.
 
uconnfan68 said:
Wilbur Cross was the #1 team in the country around that time, for 2 years in a row. 2 Parade Mag AAs (Campbell and Williamson), and a TON of other talent.
Expand ...

Mickey Heard and Earl Thomas........saw Cross at Maloney when I was about 11-12 in a tourney game - unbelievable team. They were a freakin college team.........
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Online statistics

Members online
459
Guests online
8,516
Total visitors
8,975
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
165,644
Messages
4,448,386
Members
10,320
Latest member
Vin


Top Bottom