Nicknames aren't just given out on the playgrounds of New York, they are earned. Such was the case with Walter Berry, whose nickname of "The Truth" was given with respect. The 6-9 forward was not only a legendary figure in New York basketball, but one of the Big East's early stars.

Berry was a Harlem playground legend even before college, but was known city-wide for taking Benjamin Franklin HS to the 1982 PSAL championship. Berry scored 21 points, grabbed 22 rebounds, and blocked seven shots in the championship game. Berry committed to St. John's but began a two year odyssey to join the Redmen.

Berry dropped out of high school in 1983, lacking the credits to graduate after a year's work of credits did not transfer over from two New York high schools he had previously attended. He completed a general equivalency diploma through a program at St. John's, but the NCAA ruled that he was ineligible as the St. John's GED was not nationally accredited.

With the eligibility situation still simmering, Berry opted to continue his playing career at San Jacinto (TX) Junior College. He averaged 28.9 points and 14 rebounds a game, shooting 67 percent from the floor and earning National Junior College Player of the Year honors. Recruited by the likes of Georgia, North Carolina and Duke, Berry stayed loyal to St. John's, and joined the Redmen in the fall of 1984.

A second team all-Big East selection in 1984-85, Berry averaged 17 points a game and was second in scoring to Chris Mullin as the Redmen advanced to its first Final Four since 1953. An important part of a St. John's team whose entire starting five averaged over 50 percent shooting during a season where they were ranked either #1 or #2 for most of the year, Berry's impact picked up in the NCAA tournament, averaging 18.6 points and 8.2 rebounds, with a 22 point, 12 rebound effort versus Kentucky in the regional semifinals. He was held to 12 points in the national semifinal loss to Georgetown, ending its season 31-4

With the loss of Chris Mullin and center Bill Wennington to the 1985 NBA Draft, it was going to Berry's team to lead in 1985-86 and he did not disappoint. His 828 points in 1985-86 remain the all time season record at St. John's, leading the Redmen with a 23 point average on 59 percent shooting as St. John's ended the regular season 27-4, ranked #5 in the nation, and the top seed in the Big East tournament.

The Redmen advanced to the Big East final for a third time in four seasons, with an epic battle between New York legends Berry and Dwayne (Pearl) Washington for Syracuse. The Orangemen led the entire game, but lost a 13 point second half lead as St. John's found their way back. Berry finished with 16 points but saved his best for last.

Down one, Ron Rowan scored on a short jumper to put St. John's up for the first time in the contest, 70-69. With the Garden crowd of 19,591 on its feet, Alexander Wolff of Sports Illustrated recorded the final play. "The Pearl had a bead on the basket," he wrote, "but Berry had been plotting Washington's progress from the opposite side of the lane. 'I knew he was going left,' Berry would say. 'He always makes you think he's going right, and then goes left.' As Pearl scooped the ball upward, Berry swatted it cleanly to the floor, where it was fumbled as time ran out."

St. John's earned a second consecutive #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, where Berry opened the post-season with 31 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Montana State. In the second round, however, Berry was held to 20 points as Auburn's Chuck person scored 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Tigers got the big upset, 81-65.

Following the 1985-86 season, Berry was named first team All-American, and the National Player of the Year, the third Big East player so chosen. His two year record at St. John's was a remarkable 62-9 (.873).

For all his success in college, Berry's time in the NBA was far less successful. The 14th pick of the 1986 draft, Berry was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers after just seven games.

"He is his own worst enemy," said Blazers GM Bucky Buckwalter. "Before we took him, we spoke with St. John's [about his work ethic]. They said he had made great progress. He was here only about a month before we found out the work ethic wasn't what it needed to be to make it in this league."

Berry averaged 14.1 points per game but was shopped to four different teams in three years. Stories circulated that Berry routinely feigned illnesses to get out of practices, and cited nonexistent injuries to get out of games. One NBA trainer called him the laziest player in the game.

"There was the time when Berry went out and played ...the game of his life against the Los Angeles Clippers, then went dancing that night and showed up on the team bus the next morning saying that he couldn't play the next night because his back hurt," wrote John Valenti of Newsday in 1989. "The team was headed to Portland, where Berry figured to be booed."

By 1989, the NBA had tired of "The Truth" and Berry headed to Europe, playing for 13 seasons in Italy and Greece. He completed his St. John's degree in 2010 and is currently a real estate developer in the Atlanta area.