Motown artists and Marvin Bad News Barnes

[Spreadinglove21]

I'm reading a biography of 1970s basketball player Marvin 'Bad News' Barnes, a talented player who threw it all away to drugs. In late 70s he played for a couple of years with Detroit Pistons. In the chapter on the Pistons, there's a quote from Barnes from that the time that he became friends with Levi Stubbs, Marvin Gaye and David Ruffin and they would party with him when they were in Detroit and his parties in Detroit made him a "ghetto legend". Anyone know if this is true or not?

[Graham Jarvis]

You will have fun reading one book, however so many things happen, and some things are true and some exaggerate. Go for it, it's well worth reading at least one or two of his other books.

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[Spreadinglove21]

I wasn't reading a biography of Marvin Gaye [[I've read Divided Soul). I was reading a biography of Marvin Barnes, an ABA and NBA player of the 70s who squandered his talent for basketball for drugs. He played on the Detroit Pistons NBA team from 76-78 after the ABA folded and it was during that time he supposedly partied with the likes of Gaye, Ruffin and Stubbs.

[Graham Jarvis]

Sorry about that, Marvin wanted to play, he enjoyed it but he would not have made it as a major professional, he also enjoyed boxing as well. There is only short paragraphs, Marvin enjoyed it at the time. I'll leave it to the books as they differ.
Thanks anyway.

[Spreadinglove21]

Sorry about that, Marvin wanted to play, he enjoyed it but he would not have made it as a major professional, he also enjoyed boxing as well. There is only short paragraphs, Marvin enjoyed it at the time. I'll leave it to the books as they differ.
Thanks anyway.

Marvin Gaye wanted to play for the Detroit Lions, an NFL [[American Football) team and tried out for them. Not the Detroit Pistons, which was the major league Basketball [[NBA) franchise in Detroit.

[StuBass1]

Marvin [[Barnes) was indeed a character... Hung out and he came by my place on night after a Celtics game for a party... He was generous [[to a fault) I must say... Stiffed a guy I know for money and his attorney in Boston, William Kunsler got involved in protecting News... I have no doubt he partied throughout the city...

[Spreadinglove21]

Marvin [[Barnes) was indeed a character... Hung out and he came by my place on night after a Celtics game for a party... He was generous [[to a fault) I must say... Stiffed a guy I know for money and his attorney in Boston, William Kunsler got involved in protecting News... I have no doubt he partied throughout the city...

The Barnes biography was quite good, if depressing read as the man was a lifelong addict. He went to rehab 22 times over course of his life. Sometimes he'd be sober and clean for a few years, but then something would happen and he'd start using again. He had periods where he was homeless and lived on the streets.