Knicks Legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier Enters Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, June 6th
Jun 5 2009 12:28PM
New York, NY, June 4, 2009 - The Atlanta Sports Hall Of Fame will induct its next class of Hall of Famers at its fifth annual induction ceremony on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Emory Conference Center and Hotel, and MSG Network broadcaster and Knicks legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier leads the list of 2009 inductees.
The Atlanta native and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame led the Knickerbockers to two NBA Championships (1970 and 1973), and since 1989 has been a part of the MSG Network family, serving as analyst for New York Knicks basketball. Frazier joins other 2009 inductees: Olympic Medalist, Edith McGuire Duvall; Legendary Georgia Tech Football Coach, John Heisman; High School Coaching Pioneer, Calvin "Monk" Jones; Georgia Tech Two Time All-American, Roger Kaiser; and the Braves Broadcast team of Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren.
"This is a terrific honor, and I'm very excited about going back to Atlanta, my hometown," said Frazier. "To have all my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews there to witness this accomplishment means the world to me. Uncle Walt is coming to town!"
"Clyde" played his high school basketball at David Howard High School in Atlanta, where he also starred as quarterback of the football team and catcher on the baseball team. The eldest of nine children, Frazier learned to play basketball on a dirt playground in Atlanta in the racially segregated South of the 1950's.
These six new inductees will join Hank Aaron, Furman Bisher, Bobby Jones, Dominique Wilkins, and the 20 other sports icons already in the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
Walt "Clyde" Frazier biography:
New York icon and basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier returns this fall to MSG for his 22nd season behind the microphone, which began in radio, and then moved to TV. The Hall of Fame player and Knicks hero will serve his 11th season on MSG as the Knicks television analyst, and fifth with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen. In addition to Frazier's broadcasts, he can also be found blogging for MSG.com.
Frazier started his television career shortly after retiring as a player in 1980, serving as an NBA analyst for TBS in 1981 and broadcasting Atlanta Hawks games. He worked several other NBA telecasts for TBS before joining MSG prior the 1987-88 season. In 1992, 1996, and 1997, Frazier was a part of the MSG Knicks team that won the New York Emmy Award for "Outstanding Live Sports Coverage," and was recognized in the category of "Sports Analyst" with a nomination in 2000. In 1998-99, Frazier earned a New York Emmy nomination in the category of "On-Camera Achievement: Sports Analyst/Color Commentator" for his work with the New York Knicks on MSG.
Nicknamed Clyde by former Knicks backup center Nate Bowman who thought Frazier was as slick as Warren Beatty's character in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde," he brings a unique and innovative approach to the booth. Frazier uses an array of rhymes and a very impressive vocabulary during telecasts. He carries a dictionary in his pocket and is often found reading it when traveling with the team.
Frazier, who has been a staple of the New York community since he began his Knicks career in 1967, has continued to be an integral part of the New York City sports scene. Often seen signing autographs at the Garden, he continues to give back to New York City, making numerous appearances every year on behalf of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which aids New York area kids in crisis.
A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Frazier was the Knicks' first round draft choice in 1967. He played 10 years with the Knicks, helping them capture two World Championships (1969-70 and 1972-73) and was named to the NBA's All-Star Team seven times. He played three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1977-78 to 1979-80, before retiring. Frazier was the Knicks all-time leading scorer, until Patrick Ewing broke his record for career points during the 1993-94 season.
Frazier's uniform number (10), was retired to the Garden rafters on October 15, 1979 and he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986, along with Rick Barry and the late "Pistol" Pete Maravich. In 1996, Frazier was named one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, as part of the league's golden anniversary. He is also a member of the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame and the Georgia Hall of Fame. His college uniform number (52) has been retired by Southern Illinois University.
In 1996, Frazier opened The Walt Frazier Youth Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that helps inner-city high school students gain the hope needed to achieve their full potential.
Frazier lives in Manhattan but spends a great deal of time in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, where he owns a bed and breakfast. He also enjoys gardening, jogging, sailing, and reading the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times. He has one son, Walt III, and one daughter, Angel.
The Atlanta native and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame led the Knickerbockers to two NBA Championships (1970 and 1973), and since 1989 has been a part of the MSG Network family, serving as analyst for New York Knicks basketball. Frazier joins other 2009 inductees: Olympic Medalist, Edith McGuire Duvall; Legendary Georgia Tech Football Coach, John Heisman; High School Coaching Pioneer, Calvin "Monk" Jones; Georgia Tech Two Time All-American, Roger Kaiser; and the Braves Broadcast team of Skip Caray and Pete Van Wieren.
"This is a terrific honor, and I'm very excited about going back to Atlanta, my hometown," said Frazier. "To have all my brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews there to witness this accomplishment means the world to me. Uncle Walt is coming to town!"
"Clyde" played his high school basketball at David Howard High School in Atlanta, where he also starred as quarterback of the football team and catcher on the baseball team. The eldest of nine children, Frazier learned to play basketball on a dirt playground in Atlanta in the racially segregated South of the 1950's.
These six new inductees will join Hank Aaron, Furman Bisher, Bobby Jones, Dominique Wilkins, and the 20 other sports icons already in the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame.
Walt "Clyde" Frazier biography:
New York icon and basketball legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier returns this fall to MSG for his 22nd season behind the microphone, which began in radio, and then moved to TV. The Hall of Fame player and Knicks hero will serve his 11th season on MSG as the Knicks television analyst, and fifth with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen. In addition to Frazier's broadcasts, he can also be found blogging for MSG.com.
Frazier started his television career shortly after retiring as a player in 1980, serving as an NBA analyst for TBS in 1981 and broadcasting Atlanta Hawks games. He worked several other NBA telecasts for TBS before joining MSG prior the 1987-88 season. In 1992, 1996, and 1997, Frazier was a part of the MSG Knicks team that won the New York Emmy Award for "Outstanding Live Sports Coverage," and was recognized in the category of "Sports Analyst" with a nomination in 2000. In 1998-99, Frazier earned a New York Emmy nomination in the category of "On-Camera Achievement: Sports Analyst/Color Commentator" for his work with the New York Knicks on MSG.
Nicknamed Clyde by former Knicks backup center Nate Bowman who thought Frazier was as slick as Warren Beatty's character in the movie "Bonnie and Clyde," he brings a unique and innovative approach to the booth. Frazier uses an array of rhymes and a very impressive vocabulary during telecasts. He carries a dictionary in his pocket and is often found reading it when traveling with the team.
Frazier, who has been a staple of the New York community since he began his Knicks career in 1967, has continued to be an integral part of the New York City sports scene. Often seen signing autographs at the Garden, he continues to give back to New York City, making numerous appearances every year on behalf of the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which aids New York area kids in crisis.
A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Frazier was the Knicks' first round draft choice in 1967. He played 10 years with the Knicks, helping them capture two World Championships (1969-70 and 1972-73) and was named to the NBA's All-Star Team seven times. He played three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1977-78 to 1979-80, before retiring. Frazier was the Knicks all-time leading scorer, until Patrick Ewing broke his record for career points during the 1993-94 season.
Frazier's uniform number (10), was retired to the Garden rafters on October 15, 1979 and he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986, along with Rick Barry and the late "Pistol" Pete Maravich. In 1996, Frazier was named one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, as part of the league's golden anniversary. He is also a member of the Madison Square Garden Walk of Fame and the Georgia Hall of Fame. His college uniform number (52) has been retired by Southern Illinois University.
In 1996, Frazier opened The Walt Frazier Youth Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that helps inner-city high school students gain the hope needed to achieve their full potential.
Frazier lives in Manhattan but spends a great deal of time in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, where he owns a bed and breakfast. He also enjoys gardening, jogging, sailing, and reading the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times. He has one son, Walt III, and one daughter, Angel.
