Cameron Athletics Hall of Fame
James Barnes played men’s basketball for the Aggies from 1960-1962 while CU was still a junior college. Called one of the “most imposing players” in school history, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound post player averaged 28.8 points per game as a freshman and 30.6 points per game as a sophomore. During his sophomore season, he was named to the NJCAA All-American team and scored 50 points when the men took on the Oklahoma Sooners freshmen team.
Barnes was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1964 and played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He appeared in 454 games for the Knicks, Bullets, Lakes, Bulls and Celtics, and he scored 3,997 points for an 8.8 points per average. Barnes also won an NBA Championship with the Celtics.