Willis Reed a legend with the New York Knicks, passed away on Tuesday 21 March, the National Basketball Retired Players Association announced. As a matter of fact, he was 80 years old. One of the most memorable events in NBA history occurred while Reed was leading the Knicks to two championships in the 1970s.
Reed willed himself onto the floor for the winner-take-all Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals despite a ruptured thigh muscle. Reed returned to the lineup for the first half of the decisive Game 7 after sitting out Game 6 due to injury.
When Reed came out of the players’ tunnel, the audience at Madison Square Garden erupted. He promptly inspired his team and the crowd by making his first two shots. The feat of heroism is frequently cited as one of the all-time greats in sports.
Walt Frazier was a major factor in the Knicks’ victory. The 1973 New York Knicks, again led by Reed, were champions. The Knicks captain made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to win MVP honors for both the regular season and the NBA Finals.
Following the 1974 season, Reed left the NBA for good. The National Basketball Retired Players Association confirmed that former New York Knicks star Willis Reed had passed away. The man had reached the age of 80.
In the 1970s, when Reed was leading the Knicks, they won two championships, including one that was arguably the greatest moment in basketball history.
“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday. “My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s.
Even though Reed had a torn thigh muscle, he played in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on May 8, 1970. Reed returned to the lineup for the first half of the decisive Game 7 after sitting out Game 6 due to injury.
When Reed came out of the players’ tunnel, the audience at Madison Square Garden erupted. He promptly inspired his team and the crowd by making his first two shots. The feat of heroism is frequently cited as one of the all-time greats in sports.
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Walt Frazier was a major factor in the Knicks’ victory. The 1973 New York Knicks, again led by Reed, were champions. The Knicks captain made history by becoming the first player in NBA history to win MVP honors for both the regular season and the NBA Finals.
Following the 1974 season, Reed left the NBA for good. He was a left-handed pitcher for Grambling State University (back when it was still named Grambling College), where he won three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and the NAIA championship in 1961.
In 1982, Reed was recognized for his achievements on the basketball court and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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