Former NBA player turned lawyer and judge Barry Kramer died Saturday at the age of 82.
A native of Schenectady, New York, Kramer was named an All-American while playing collegiately for New York University before being selected by the San Francisco Warriors in the 1964 NBA Draft.
He played 33 games with the Warriors and also wore a New York Knicks uniform in 19 games that same 1964-65 season.
However, he decided to leave basketball to pursue a career in law, graduating from Albany Law School in 1968.
Kramer also appeared briefly for the ABA's New York Nets in the 1969-70 season.
Kramer also distinguished himself in law, being appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the Surrogate's Court in 1993 before being elected a justice of the New York Supreme Court in 2009.
Barry Kramer became a nationally renowned college basketball player at New York University.
Kramer later became a lawyer and then a judge of the New York Supreme Court.
“I can't tell you how many people who grew up in Schenectady looked up to Barry Kramer,” Bob Pezzano, who attended Linton High School like Kramer, told the newspaper. Albany Times-Union.
'They wanted to jump like Barry. They wanted to be able to go to the rim and finish like Barry. People today may not realize that NYU was a powerhouse in those days. They were the cream of the crop in New York City, which was great for college basketball at that time. …He had a classic game against Duke when he scored 34 points. People loved him in the Garden. Twice he scored 42 points at Madison Square Garden.
Kramer also attended Linton at the same time as NBA icon Pat Riley, former professional player and coach and current president of the Miami Heat.
'Barry Kramer was the greatest player in Schenectady history. I knew him well. “He taught me a lot when I played with him,” Riley told the Associated Press.
'And he was just a great, great friend and man. I idolized him. They always compared Barry and I and asked, “Who's the best at Schenectady High School?” Barry Kramer or Pat Riley? And every time they asked me, I said, 'Barry Kramer knocked out my tooth in a 1-on-1 game to get stronger.' He was the best player that day in Schenectady, New York.
Kramer was also inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.