Clyde Frazier Breaks Dick Barnett Hall of Fame News in New York Knicks Broadcast?

Walt "Clyde" Frazier appeared to break the news of fellow New York Knicks legend Dick Barnett's impending Hall of Fame election before any official announcement.

Dec., 1972; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Knicks guard Dick Barnett (12) in action at / Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

Walt "Clyde" Frazier was spoiling and toiling during MSG Network's Tuesday night broadcast of the New York Knicks' game against the Miami Heat.

As the Knicks dropped a 109-99 decision to Miami, Frazier appeared to break news of fellow Knicks legend Dick Barnett's induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. No official announcement has been made about Barnett's status but Frazier claimed to have gotten a call from another New York basketball icon, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, that confirmed Barnett's election.

Thus ends a long wait for Barnett, 87, who spent the final eight seasons (1966-74) of a storied professional playing career with the Knicks. New York hosted Barnett's All-Star appearance in 1968 and, like Frazier, he was a part of each of the Knicks two championship teams from 1970 and 1973.

Dec., 1972; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Knicks guard Dick Barnett (12) in action at / Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

As it stands, Barnett is the ninth-leading scorer in Knicks history (9,442) and is 10th in games played (604). Barnett's career-best season came with the Knicks in his metropolitan debut, which saw him average 23.1 points and 4.1 rebounds after he came over from a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. Barnett originally entered the pros as the fourth pick in the 1959 draft, where he was chosen by the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers).

Before coming to New York, the All-American Barnett was also part of three consecutive NAIA collegiate titles with Tennessee State (the first historically black college/university to claim a men's basketball national title) and he also won an American Basketball League championship with a Cleveland Pipers team owned by future New York Yankees "Boss" George Steinbrenner.

Official news concerning the Hall of Fame elections is expected to arrive prior to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's Final Four round on Saturday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the class will include new-century NBA legends Chauncey Billups and Vince Carter.