Walt "Clyde" Frazier is perhaps better known among newer generations of fans as one of the NBA's most eccentric announcers, working alongside Mike Breen on local Knicks broadcasts. Before he became a star behind the microphone, however, he was a legend on the court.
Frazier was a centerpiece of two Knicks championship teams in the early 1970s, dazzling with his do-it-all playmaking ability over a decade in blue and orange.
Frazier has a claim to rank among the best players in Knicks history, but is he No. 1?
i thHere's a look at where Frazier ranks among Sporting News' 11 greatest Knicks players of all time.
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Where does Walt Frazier rank among Knicks legends?
Frazier ranks No. 1 on Sporting News' ranking of the all time greatest Knicks players as the top player in franchise history.
Some teams don't have a question about who the best player in franchise history might be. The Knicks are not one of those teams. Patrick Ewing is arguably the player most synonymous with the Knicks, though recency bias might play a role in that discussion. Ewing, after all, holds many major Knicks records, including points and rebounds.
Frazier, however, was the driving force behind the franchise's two championships with little weakness in his offensive or defensive games. While the time he spent with the Knicks was shorter than Ewing's, a decade is more than enough time to become a franchise legend when championship-level success is part of it.
Here's a complete breakdown of Frazier's Knicks career.
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Walt Frazier career milestones and achievements
All-Star appearances with Knicks
- 1969-70 NBA All-Star
- 1970-71 NBA All-Star
- 1971-72 NBA All-Star
- 1972-73 NBA All-Star
- 1973-74 NBA All-Star
- 1974-75 NBA All-Star
- 1975-76 NBA All-Star
Frazier earned All-Star selections in seven consecutive seasons from 1969-70 through 1975-76, averaging better than 19 points, six rebounds and five assists in each of those seven seasons. He was remarkably durable during that stretch, missing no more than five games in any of his first six All-Star seasons.
All-NBA selections
- 1969-70: First-Team All-NBA
- 1970-71: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1971-72: First-Team All-NBA
- 1972-73: Second-Team All-NBA
- 1973-74: First-Team All-NBA
- 1974-75: First-Team All-NBA
- 7-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection
Frazier earned six All-NBA selections, landing on the All-NBA First Team in 1969-70, 1971-72, 1973-74 and 1974-75. He was also a staple on the All-NBA Defensive Team, landing on the first team in seven consecutive seasons from 1968-69 through 1974-75. The NBA didn't introduce the Defensive Player of the Year Award until 1982.
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Award Voting
- 4th in MVP voting (1969-70)
- 6th in MVP voting (1973-74)
- 7th in MVP voting (1972-73)
Frazier earned one top-five finish in MVP voting, also finishing sixth in 1973-74 and seventh in 1972-73. He earned seven First-Team All-Defensive selections during his 10 seasons with the Knicks, but the Defensive Player of the Year award wasn't introduced by the NBA until 1982.
Playoff appearances
- 8 playoff appearances with Knicks
- 6 conference finals appearances
- 3 NBA Finals appearances
- 2 NBA championships
Frazier made eight playoff appearances in his 10 seasons with the Knicks, reaching the conference finals or equivalent in six of those eight appearances.
Playoff success defined Frazier's career with the Knicks. With Frazier and Willis Reed at the forefront of both runs, New York won its only two championships in 1970 and 1973 while also reaching the NBA Finals in 1972. Frazier averaged 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists over 93 career playoff games, all with the Knicks.
Milestones
- Knicks' all-time assist leader
- Knicks' all-time triple-double leader
- 14,617 points with Knicks (2nd in franchise history)
- 4,598 rebounds with Knicks (8th in franchise history)
- Second in Knicks history in games played
Frazier was a stellar defensive player, but his offensive numbers also rank among the best in Knicks history. He's second in franchise history in points, eighth in rebounds and first in assists while also holding the Knicks record for triple-doubles despite playing in an era in which triple-doubles were rarer.
Frazier is second in Knicks history in games played behind only Ewing, with Ewing playing 280 more.
Hall of Fame
- Elected in 1987
Frazier was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987, his first year of eligibility. He headlined the class along with Pete Maravich and Rick Barry, who also played their final games in 1980.
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Walt Frazier career stats
Frazier spent 10 seasons with the Knicks, averaging more than 20 points per game in six different seasons and stuffing the stat sheet with both rebounds and assists. Frazier averaged as many as 8.2 assists per game in 1969-70, the Knicks' first championship season, and he remains the franchise's all-time assist leader.
| Season | Team | Games | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% |
| 1967-68 | Knicks | 74 | 9.0 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 45.1% |
| 1968-69 | Knicks | 80 | 17.5 | 6.2 | 7.9 | 50.5% |
| 1969-70 | Knicks | 77 | 20.9 | 6.0 | 8.2 | 51.8% |
| 1970-71 | Knicks | 80 | 21.7 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 49.4% |
| 1971-72 | Knicks | 77 | 23.2 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 51.2% |
| 1972-73 | Knicks | 78 | 21.1 | 7.3 | 5.9 | 49.0% |
| 1973-74 | Knicks | 80 | 20.5 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 47.2% |
| 1974-75 | Knicks | 78 | 21.5 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 48.3% |
| 1975-76 | Knicks | 59 | 19.1 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 48.5% |
| 1976-77 | Knicks | 76 | 17.4 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 48.9% |
| 1977-78 | Cavaliers | 51 | 16.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 47.1% |
| 1978-79 | Cavaliers | 12 | 10.8 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 44.3% |
| 1979-80 | Cavaliers | 3 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 36.4% |
| Career | 825 | 18.9 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 49.0% |
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Is Walt Frazier in the Hall of Fame?
Frazier was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 after earning election in his first year of eligibility. He headlined the class along with Pete Maravich and Rick Barry. Frazier is also in the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster.
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Walt Frazier best highlights
Frazier delivered one of the best title-clinching performances of all time in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, totaling 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds to defeat the Lakers and secure the first championship in Knicks history.
It can be tough for players to fill the stat sheet in the All-Star Game without playing as many minutes, but here's a look back at Frazier's 15-point performance in the 1972 NBA All-Star Game.
The Knicks lost Game 5 of the 1972 NBA Finals handily, but it would be tough to blame Frazier, who managed to put up 31 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in an excellent performance that still wasn't enough to save New York's season.