Barnett died in his sleep overnight at an assisted living facility in Largo, Florida, according to multiple media reports. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 as a player and as a three-time All-America for Tennessee A&I (now Tennessee State) teams that won three consecutive NAIA championships (1957-59) —the first HBCU program to win a national title in basketball.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dick Barnett, a basketball Hall of Famer who played on both New York Knicks NBA championship teams after being part of a historic college powerhouse at Tennessee A&I, has died. He was 88. The Knicks announced the death of the former guard Sunday. There were no details provided about his death.

Dick Barnett led Tennessee State's basketball team to three consecutive NAIA national championships before going on to be an NBA All-Star.