NEW YORK – Walt “Clyde” Frazier guided the New York Knicks to two NBA Championships in the 1970s. Today, he’s trying to guide anyone who will listen down the path of living a healthy lifestyle.

Frazier is a spokesperson for Dribble to Stop Diabetes a campaign which brings together the NBA, WNBA, NBA Development League and Sanofi U.S. in partnership with the American Diabetes Association. The campaign’s main goal is diabetes awareness, something that is very personal to Frazier.

“My family’s been devastated by the disease,” Frazier told theGrio’s Todd Johnson. “I’ve lost my mother to [a] heart attack and my aunts and uncles to strokes…and today my great nephews and nieces are also obese.”

Frazier, an NBA Hall-of-Famer, said he’s baffled when he learns people don’t go to their doctors regularly, particularly African-Americans.

“With [many African-American’s] diet, there’s a lot of high-blood pressure, like with my family,” Frazier said. “Too much salt, too much sugar … these things are devastating to the diet.”

The 66-year-old Knicks color commentator is also ‘fighting’ another battle – against ‘unemployment’. With no games to call because of the current NBA lockout, he says he feels just like fans all of the world who miss the game.

Traveling with the Knicks players was also a motivating tool for Frazier to stay in shape.

“I see these guys fit and I say to myself, ‘Hey Clyde man, you gotta keep it up man, you can’t get fat .”

Frazier is optimistic that the the players and owners are still talking, though he wouldn’t take a public position on who he is supporting. Ever the politician, Frazier says he’s “for the game.”

“I’m a sports fan, I love basketball and that’s what I want to see them do, I want to see them play.”

Follow theGrio’s Todd Johnson on Twitter at @rantoddj