NB70s: Rick Barry (1975-78)

In the 1975 NBA draft, the Warriors selected point guard Gus Williams in the first round. Barry was not required to contribute as much during the 1975–76 season, and his scoring average dipped to 21.0 points per game as a result. Barry's relationship with his teammates continued to deteriorate, to the point where during the final game of the 1976 Western Conference Finals, when Suns rookie Ricky Sobers assaulted Barry away from the ball in the first quarter, none of his teammates came to his aid (in response, Barry took very few shots for the rest of the game, leading to speculation that Barry "quit on the team").

In the 1976–77 season, the Warriors won 46 games with Barry, Phil Smith, and Williams sharing the majority of the scoring and ball-handling responsibilities but were eliminated in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. Reportedly, Barry and Williams clashed over the ball-handling role, and Williams was subsequently traded after the season to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Barry averaged 23.1 points per game in his farewell season (1977–78) with the Warriors.