What was Russell's issue with Jim Barnes during the '69 postseason?

wojoaderge · Post #1 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 12:19 am

I haven't been able to find a good answer online

70sFan · Post #2 » by **70sFan** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 6:19 am

Why do you think there was any issue?

wojoaderge · Post #3 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 12:30 pm

70sFan wrote:Why do you think there was any issue?

Many years agi, I read somewhere that Barnes was acquired to give Russell a break but somehow ended up in his doghouse, resulting in zero seconds in the playoffs.

eminence · Post #4 » by **eminence** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 12:42 pm

I thought I remembered hearing about injury issues (not in the moment, not near that old), but can't point towards any direct evidence of such.

Weird injury earlier in the season:

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/01/04/78330191.html

wojoaderge · Post #5 » by **wojoaderge** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 2:28 pm

eminence wrote:I thought I remembered hearing about injury issues (not in the moment, not near that old), but can't point towards any direct evidence of such.

Weird injury earlier in the season:

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/01/04/78330191.html

Yeah, that engine thing was bizarre. Maybe there was an injury, but he played in 12 straight games right before the playoffs.

prolific passer · Post #6 » by **prolific passer** » Wed Jun 15, 2022 5:14 pm

Just looked him up. Played on a few playoff teams. Some even made a finals but he only played in the playoffs 3 times due to injuries.

Post #7 » by **penbeast0** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:32 pm

Found a quote on p. 365 of Terry Pluto's "Tall Tales" from Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan:

"Jim 'Bad News' Barnes was supposed to be Russell's caddy, but during the season Barnes had gotten off a plane and the plane's exhaust backfired, knocking Barnes on his butt. Barnes said it hurt his neck. Russell was not sympathetic and by playoff time he simply ignored Barnes."

wojoaderge · Post #8 » by **wojoaderge** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:41 pm

penbeast0 wrote:Found a quote on p. 365 of Terry Pluto's "Tall Tales" from Boston sportswriter Bob Ryan:

"Jim 'Bad News' Barnes was supposed to be Russell's caddy, but during the season Barnes had gotten off a plane and the plane's exhaust backfired, knocking Barnes on his butt. Barnes said it hurt his neck. Russell was not sympathetic and by playoff time he simply ignored Barnes."

There seems to be something missing there

Post #9 » by **penbeast0** » Thu Jun 16, 2022 11:23 pm

There are a couple of more sentences but they don't seem to add anything. And I don't think Ryan has any of it first hand, it's speculation, but I saw it and remembered this thread.