He held the world record of 431 test wickets, taking a wicket with his final ball against England at Edgbaston in 1990 where he was listed on the scorecard as 'Sir Richard'.
He received the supreme Halberg award twice and was honoured as the sportsperson of the 1980s.
"The recognition is a huge compliment to what you do on the field but it carries responsibility in the public domain," Hadlee says.
"If people recognise you, want your autograph or come up for a chat, I believe it's good to give something back. You bring about goodwill for the sake of a minute or two of your time. Alternatively a bad experience multiplies by 10, 100 or 1000 times once it is spread.
"Obviously you deserve privacy when you're in your own house. You should be able to do your own thing without worrying about cameras out front Hollywood-style.
"You're normal people at the end of the day, so still need to be left alone at times.
"However, when you're out on the road, you are public property, so come to terms to it. You've got to be careful with your behaviour whether you're watching sport, at the movies, out fishing or at a restaurant."
All-rounder Jimmy Neesham exemplifies the meteoric rise in national recognition for New Zealand players.
A year ago he debuted at international level on the tour to South Africa. Now, after a stellar Champions League with Otago, an Indian Premier League contract with the Delhi Daredevils and the highest score (137 not out) by a No8 batsman on debut, he's in the spotlight. He was also the player who helped Jesse Ryder into a taxi outside an Auckland bar at 3am after the tied ODI against India on January 25.
In the age of the smartphone, players are easy targets.
"I never used to care about my appearance but now I consider taking an extra look in the mirror before I head out in case there's a tuft of hair out of place," Neesham quipped."You try to take it in your stride. Once you're aware people are looking at you, you have to make smarter decisions.
"When I was at the Champions League [in India] I saw how fame operates first hand, like how Baz [McCullum] was treated in airports and the like.
"It was surreal. I'm now in the same team as Kevin Pietersen in the IPL so hopefully I can still hide in the shadows to a degree."
Gary Hermansson was the Kiwi team's sports psychologist from 2005-07. He says problems come when players let their guard down in public.
"For example, Jesse and Doug [Bracewell] will become lightning rods for attention wherever they go from here. You've got to think about the consequences of your actions and find a way to avoid difficult situations.
"You might say you only risk getting into trouble after about six drinks, but by the time you've had three you're already at a point where you're losing your judgment. From there it's not far to the point of no return."
The Herald on Sunday understands Bracewell faces a meeting regarding his future on Tuesday in Napier. He currently has a national contract with New Zealand Cricket.
