A shy Rick Barry would like you to consider making Spalding your basketball of choice

“While I’m shooting underhanded free throws and sporting my 1970s floppy dog ears General Madine haircut, there’s no basketball I’d rather have in my hands than a Spalding.”

I came across this Rick Barry Spalding ad the other day — sadly lacking a Jack Davis caricature — and couldn’t help but contrast his long, successful career, one without any fan love, with the Jeremy Lin Linsanity that’s swept the American sports landscape in the past week. It’s amazing what not being a Grade A jerk can get you.

Barry has to be grinding his Grade A jerk teeth somewhere. And blow drying his hair.