Michael Thomas "Bird Man" Barrett (September 5, 1943 – August 8, 2011) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He was reared in

Webster Springs, West Virginia Addison, commonly known as Webster Springs, is a town in and the county seat of Webster County, West Virginia, United States. Although it was incorporated as Addison in 1892, it is more frequently referred to as Webster Springs, the name of the t ...

and attended Webster Springs High School through his sophomore season. Prior to his Junior season, his father accepted a job in

Richwood, West Virginia Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia, Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. In 2020, the census showed Richwood with a population of 1,661. During the 19th and early 20th century Richwood was a booming coal and lumber to ...

where he subsequently moved his family. Mike would then finish his Junior and Senior seasons at Richwood High School. A 6'2"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

from West Virginia Institute of Technology, Barrett participated in the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

, where he won a gold medal for the

United States national basketball team The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...

. He also played for the

United States men's national basketball team The USA Basketball Men's National Team, commonly known as the United States men's national basketball team, is the basketball team representing the United States. They are the most successful team in international competition, winning medals in ...

at the

1967 FIBA World Championship The 1967 FIBA World Championship was the 5th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Montevideo, Uruguay from 27 May to 11 June 1967. Venues Competing nations Competition form ...

. From 1969 to 1973 he played professionally in the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

as a member of the

Washington Capitols The Washington Capitols were a former Basketball Association of America (forerunner of the National Basketball Association) team based in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach ...

Virginia Squires The Virginia Squires were a basketball team based in Norfolk, Virginia, and playing in several other Virginia cities. They were members of the American Basketball Association from 1970 to 1976. The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, a ...

, and

San Diego Conquistadors The San Diego Conquistadors (known as the San Diego Sails in their final, partial season), were an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in San Diego. The "Q's", as they were popularly known, played from 1972 to 1975. As the Sails, the ...

. He was named to the 1970 ABA All-Rookie team, and averaged 13.4

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...

over his ABA career. He was named West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year in 1968, and in 1980, he was inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Barrett died August 8, 2011, after a long illness.Tech Olympian Mike Barrett, 67, dies
, accessed August 10, 2011

References

External links

*

at USABasketball.com 1943 births 2011 deaths Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from West Virginia Basketball players at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball People from Montgomery, West Virginia People from Richwood, West Virginia People from Webster Springs, West Virginia Point guards San Diego Conquistadors players Shooting guards United States men's national basketball team players Virginia Squires players Washington Caps players West Virginia Tech Golden Bears men's basketball players 1967 FIBA World Championship players {{1940s-US-basketball-bio-stub