Joe Barry Carroll was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His family moved “up north” to Denver, Colorado where he attended high school and was recruited to play basketball at Purdue University. He graduated with a degree in economics and was the No 1 overall pick in the 1980 National Basketball Association Draft. Carroll regularly appeared in NBA playoff games over his eleven-year professional career with the Golden State Warriors, Milano (Italy), Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns. His NBA totals are 12,455 points, which included a career high average of 24 points; 5,404 rebounds, 1,264 assists and 1,122 blocked shots.
While playing professional basketball Carroll developed a wealth management model and after retiring founded The Carroll Group, a wealth advisory firm. While in the NBA he established a foundation, and has made significant financial contributions toward education, health and community development. In 2014 he was honored with the Hank Aaron Hank Champion for Justice award from the Atlanta Braves and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. In February 2014 Joe Barry Carroll Publishing launched its first title, Growing Up . . . In Words and Images, a coffee table book that features seventy of Carroll’s paintings and stories about his life, loves, challenges and discoveries. His second book will be released in August 2017.