Willis Reed

2023 - 3 - 22

New York Knicks great Willis Reed dies at 80 (CNN)

New York Knicks hero Willis Reed has died, the National Basketball Retired Players Association said Tuesday. He was 80 years old.

Following his playing career, Willis mentored the next generation as a coach, team executive and proud HBCU alumnus. “He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports. The heroic performance is often included as one of the defining moments in sports history. Another Reed-led Knicks team won the 1973 title. The Knicks captain was the first NBA player to be named league MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season. Reed led the Knicks to two championship titles in the 1970s, which included one of the most iconic moments in basketball history.

Willis Reed, Hall of Fame Center for Champion Knicks, Dies at 80 (The New York Times)

He was beloved by New York fans for his willingness to play hurt, as memorably exemplified in the decisive Game 7 of the 1970 N.B.A. finals at Madison ...

Reed did return to the Knicks in a nominal administrative role around the turn of the century. Reed halted the scrimmage, approached Russell and asked what he was doing. In the film, “When the Garden Was Eden,” Reed sheepishly called it “a good fight.” Beginning his third season with the Knicks, Reed was embroiled in a battle with the Lakers’ “Didn’t have the houses the white folks have, didn’t have a car,” he said in 2009. Driving out of Ann Arbor, where he was visiting with friends, Russell was pulled over by the police and ordered out of the car at gunpoint. Told that the team wanted him to earn it on the court, Reed accepted the challenge and vowed to make Donovan pay him after the season. Within the Knicks organization, he was known to be generous with teammates in an era when financial rewards in professional sports were not as substantial as they are today. In 1996, he was chosen by the N.B.A. He was part of the Nets’ front office when the team lost consecutive N.B.A. He was chosen by the N.B.A. When the Knicks went out to warm up before the start of Game 7, Reed stayed behind in the trainer’s room for treatment.

Willis Reed, a leader on the New York Knicks' NBA championship ... (NPR)

Reed dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the Knicks to their first championship, ...

He wouldn't score again but the Knicks didn't need it, with their captain's return and Walt Frazier's 36 points and 19 assists energizing them to a 113-99 romp and their first NBA title. The cause was not released, but Reed had been in poor health recently and was unable to travel to New York when the Knicks honored the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship team during their game against New Orleans on Feb. He sat out Game 6 as counterpart Wilt Chamberlain had 45 points and 27 rebounds in a Lakers romp that forced a deciding game at Madison Square Garden.

Willis Reed, New York Knicks legend and two-time NBA champion ... (CBSSports.com)

Willis Reed, a seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time champion and Basketball Hall of Famer, died Tuesday at the age of 80, the National Basketball Retired ...

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, and as of last season, the winner of the NBA's Southwest Division is awarded the Willis Reed trophy. [Hawks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/ATL/atlanta-hawks/) and [Kings](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/SAC/sacramento-kings/). As a league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP and member of the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Willis was a decorated player who took great pride in his consistency. Before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, it was unknown if Willis Reed would play due to a right thigh injury. He was the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 1969-70 season, and won Finals MVP during both of New York's championships in the 1970s (1970 and 1973). Reed had previously suffered a torn muscle in the series and missed Game 6 as a result.

'Our Captain': Knicks, NBA world react to death of Willis Reed (FOXSports.com)

The Knicks and the NBA world at large mourned the death of two-time NBA champion Willis Reed, remembering his heroic performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA ...

[2022-23 NBA Playoff Picture, Bracket: Updated standings, matchups, seeds](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/nba-playoff-picture-how-first-round-matchups-are-shaping-up) [2022-23 NBA MVP Race: Can Giannis surpass Embiid, Jokic?](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/2022-23-nba-mvp-race) [Klay Thompson counts rings out to trash-talking Dillon Brooks in Warriors' loss](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/klay-thompson-counts-rings-out-to-trash-talking-dillon-brooks-after-warriors-loss) [Rick Pitino reportedly agrees to six-year deal with St. - Michael Jordan reportedly in talks to sell majority stake in Hornets2022-23 NBA MVP Race: Can Giannis surpass Embiid, Jokic?2023 NBA MVP odds on the move, Joel Embiid new favorite over Nikola Jokic - Austin Reaves rising to challenges in Lakers' playoff pushKlay Thompson counts rings out to trash-talking Dillon Brooks in Warriors' lossHouston faces Golden State following Green's 40-point outing Reed's life was celebrated by both those who knew him personally and those who were inspired by him. - Magic Johnson reportedly joins Commanders ownership bidJa Morant expected to rejoin Grizzlies with NBA suspension over2022-23 NBA Playoff Picture, Bracket: Updated standings, matchups, seeds [New York Knicks](https://www.foxsports.com/nba/new-york-knicks-team) teams that won the [NBA](https://www.foxsports.com/nba) Finals in 1970 and 1973, died Wednesday at age 80.

Willis Reed: New York Knicks legend, two-time NBA champion and ... (Sky Sports)

Hall of Fame center Willis Reed was the first player to be named MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season; Reed led the New York Knicks to ...

"Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind -- the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions. Hall of Fame center Willis Reed was the first player to be named MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season; Reed led the New York Knicks to their only two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973

Two-time NBA champion and Knicks legend Willis Reed dies at 80 (NBA.com)

A beloved New York Knicks icon, Hall of Fame center Willis Reed was the 1st player to be named MVP, Finals MVP and All-Star Game MVP in the same season.

He wouldn’t score again but the Knicks didn’t need it, with their captain’s return and Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists energizing them to a 113-99 romp and their first NBA title. Reed’s status was unknown even to his Knicks teammates as he continued getting treatment until shortly before Game 7. He sat out Game 6 as counterpart Wilt Chamberlain had 45 points and 27 rebounds in a Lakers romp that forced a deciding game at Madison Square Garden. He was also named to the A leader!!! He was simply a great person,

Willis Reed, leader on Knicks' 2 title teams, dies at 80 (Jacksonville Daily News)

Willis Reed, who dramatically emerged from the locker room minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to spark the New York Knicks to their first ...

NBA: New York's iconic 'Captain' Willis Reed dies at 80 (INQUIRER.net)

Hall of Famer Willis Reed, the beloved former New York Knicks player who won two championships, has died at the age of 80, the National Basketball Retired ...

He later coached the then-New Jersey Nets. “The unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions. “He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.”

Willis Reed

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