The Origins and Significance of Walt Frazier's "Clyde" Nickname
The Origins and Significance of Walt Frazier's "...
By Fan Arch July 29, 2024 09:32
Walt "Clyde" Frazier is one of the best to ever play point guard in the NBA. Frazier was selected 5th overall by the Knicks in the 1967 Draft and had a Hall of Fame career that saw him play for New York for most of his thirteen seasons. Frazier was the New York Knicks' floor general and defensive anchor during their NBA championships in 1970-73.
Frazier was an elite two way player who ranked among the best passers and ball-handlers of his era as he specialized in perimeter defense. A seven time NBA All-Star who was also a member of the 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams as one of the league's all-times great, Frazier also leveled out his scoring averages once he made it to New Orleans. Frazier would retire with formidable career averages of 18.9 points, 6.1 assists, and nearly 6 rebounds a contest.
The Origins of the Nickname "Clyde"
Frazier's nickname, "Clyde," came about as a rookie with the Knicks in 1967-68. The legend is that Red Holtzman, then the Knicks head coach, awarded Frazier his fabled nickname after catching a glimpse of him and thinking he looked like Warren Beatty as Clyde Barrow in the 1967 movie Bonnie and Clyde. At least his own taste for donning stylish, wide-brimmed hats that year away from the game drew a Clyde Barrow-esque point of reference to match.
Frazier explained to ESPN, "I got that name 'Clyde' because I wore a similar hat like Clyde Barrow in the 67' movie Bonnie and Clyde. Even off the court, I had a reputation for my extravagant style. I would pull up to games in a Rolls Royce, decked out with designer suits, broad-brimmed Borsalino hats, and full-length mink coats."
The Cultural and Stylistic Importance of "Clyde"
The "Clyde" handle was more than just a cosmetic similarity; it summed up who Frazier portrayed himself as on the court and as an athlete. Those wide brimmed hats, the sleek designer suits and extravagant fur coats that routinely drew his name into any conversation about professional sports' original "fashion icons."
The shoes matched Frazier's individual flair, from an understated personality off the court to the pronouncement on the hardwood with a poised competitive streak following his memorable fashion and outlandish outfits worn in games. The nickname "Clyde" captured this dualism a dapper, fashionable public persona away from the game, and an intense, analytical on-court presence.
The Legacy and Impact of the "Clyde" Name
The nickname "Clyde" helped brand Frazier as one of the biggest and most important players in NBA history. As great of a player as he was, Frazier became something much more than an NBA basketball star with his own style.
He has remained a constant in New York, staying on as the color commentator for Knicks games on MSG Network and making his name with colorful wardrobe choices along with lots of rhyming prose.
In 2022, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recognized Frazier for his work as a broadcaster, adding to his long list of honors and maintaining him as one of the most visible NBA figures ever.
It was a nickname that cast Frazier as larger than life, extending beyond his on-court dominance and bringing in aspects of off-the-floor style and personality to make "Clyde" one of the most enduring figures not just in NBA history but all sports. That nickname still carries, both in Frazier's career as an announcer and the general cultural power of a basketball star like no other.
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