Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: NBA Hall of Fame point guard for New York Knickerbockers and Cleveland Cavaliers (1967-1979).
DOB: March 29, 1945 In: Atlanta, GA
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 209
Childhood Heroes: My relatives – parents, Walk and Eula, grandparents, uncle.
Nickname: Clyde. From the movie Bonnie & Clyde. I used to wear a fedora type hat to games and our trainer Danny Whelan started calling me Clyde. It stuck.
Favorite Movie: Gone With The Wind.
First Job: Zesto’s Drive in Restaurant in Atlanta. Eighth grade.
First Car: 1949 blue Ford Coupe. Bought it and shared it with my best friend.
Hobbies: Sailing.
Favorite Meal: Chicken.
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: Raisin Bran.
Greatest Sports Moment(s): Being drafted by the New York Knicks. That was something I didn’t expect. I was a late bloomer. As a kid, I didn’t think I could play pro. Winning the NBA Championships with the Knicks (1970, 1973).
Most Painful Moment: Traded to Cleveland. It was like getting traded to Siberia (1977).
Favorite Sport Outside Basketball: To watch – football, to play – tennis.
Funniest Knick Encountered: Dick Barnett. The press and public perceived him to be stoic and aloof. But he could make you laugh until your sides hurt.
Toughest Competitors: Earl Monroe. Oscar Robertson. Jerry West. Phil Chenier. Archie Clark.
Closest NBA Friend: Earl Monroe.
On Knicks Fans: The most sophisticated, most knowledgeable fans there are. And win or lose, they remain Knicks fans.
Musical Tastes: Light rock, oldies, Temptations, Smoky Robinson, Diana Ross, Four Tops, Motown.
Favorite Vacation Spot: St. Croix.
Most Treasured Possession: My cool demeanor. There’s little that can upset me. In my life I’ve only been in one fight.
Little Known Fact: I’m a quiet and shy person.
US Presidents Most Admired: Abraham Lincoln. For what he did for black people. Lyndon Johnson. John F. Kennedy. He was synonymous with Martin Luther King. In my grandmother’s home you would find a picture of King on the wall and right next to it would be a picture of Kennedy.
College: Southern Illinois.
Career Achievements: Knicks TV analyst since the end of his career; Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame induction 1987; Seven-time NBA All Star, 1975 NBA All Star Game MVP: Averaged 18.9 points per game in regular season and 20.7 in playoffs; Puma named a sneaker “Clyde” after Frazier in 1973.
(Note: This interview was done in 1992 at Madison Square Garden.)
