Legends profile: Willis Reed

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Among the most legendary baskets in NBA history are the two scored by Willis Reed in the early moments of the 1970 Finals’ Game 7. Even though they only added four points to the scoreboard, these baskets were equivalent to a million buckets of motivation for the New York Knicks.

Before Game 7 on May 8, 1970, at 7:30 p.m., Reed, the captain and driving force behind the skilled New York Knicks team, seemed to be out of the game due to an injury that jeopardized his team’s shot at the championship. However, just fifteen minutes later, he had earned legendary status, and the Knicks were on the path to securing their first title.

In the initial four games of The Finals facing the powerful Los Angeles Lakers, Reed put up scores of 37, 29, 38, and 23 points respectively, while maintaining an average of 15 rebounds. However, during the fourth quarter of Game 5, he suffered a severe thigh injury. Despite this setback, the Knicks managed to scrape by that game, but the Lakers crushed them in Game 6.

The series was tied at three games apiece entering the decisive contest at Madison Square Garden. New York’s Bill Bradley recalled Game 7 in an article in The New York Times: “We left the locker room for the warmups not knowing if Willis was going to come out or not.”

Reed hobbled onto the court at 7:34 p.m., sparking a wild reaction from the crowd and boosting his teammates’ confidence immensely. Incredibly, he managed to out-jump Wilt Chamberlain for the opening tip-off and then proceeded to score the game’s first point with a shot from the top of the key. Reed followed this up with a second basket from a 20-foot distance. Despite not scoring again, his early performance had already motivated the Knicks to seize control of the game. They led by as much as 29 points in the first half and ultimately triumphed with a 113-99 victory.

Reed was the essential element and driving force behind the Knicks’ championship teams in 1970 and 1973.

The ex-Grambling Tiger, who stands at 6-foot-9½ and weighs 240 pounds, had a 10-season stint in New York and made appearances in seven All-Star Games. He secured the Rookie of the Year title in the 1964-65 season and the MVP title in the 1969-70 season. In both years that the Knicks claimed victory, he was chosen as the Finals MVP.

Reed was born on June 25, 1942, in Hico, La., a place so tiny that he once told Pro Basketball Illustrated, “They don’t even have a population.” While Reed was growing up on a farm in nearby Bernice, the Knicks were floundering. New York managed only one winning season in the 12 campaigns between 1955-56 and 1966-67. From 1956 to 1966 the Knicks finished last nine times, and the club failed to make the playoffs in the seven seasons from 1959 to 1966. In 1963-64 the Knicks brought up the rear of the Eastern Division with a 22-58 record.

At Grambling, Reed accumulated a total of 2,280 career points and during his senior year, he averaged 26.6 points and 21.3 rebounds. His leadership led the school to one NAIA title and three championships in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In the 1964 Draft, the Knicks selected him in the second round and he joined the franchise for a signing amount of approximately $10,000.

Reed made a significant impact right away. In March 1965, he scored 46 points in a game against Los Angeles, marking the second-highest single-game score by a Knicks rookie. He ended the season ranking seventh in NBA scoring with an average of 19.5 points per game and fifth in rebounding with an average of 14.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, he began his series of All-Star appearances and became the first Knicks player to ever receive the Rookie of the Year award.

Throughout his career, Reed established himself as a reliable performer during playoffs. An early sign of this was in the 1966-67 season when he scored an average of 27.5 points per game in the postseason, surpassing his regular-season average of 20.9 points per game.

The team grappled with difficulties for several years, during which they acquired promising players via trades and drafts. One of the most significant changes in the team’s lineup was the decision to substitute Dick McGuire with William “Red” Holzman as the coach during the middle of the 1967-68 season. The Knicks had a 15-22 record under McGuire, but Holzman led them to a 28-17 finish. This helped the team achieve a 43-39 record, marking their first victorious season since 1958-59.

Reed persisted in making yearly appearances at the All-Star Game. He had transitioned to the position of power forward from center to accommodate Walt Bellamy. Despite the change in position, Reed maintained his strong performance on the boards, with an average of 11.6 rebounds in 1965-66 and 14.6 in 1966-67, both placing him in the league’s top 10. By the end of the 1966-67 season, he had successfully adapted to the intricacies of his new role, averaging 20.9 points and ranking eighth in the NBA.

After a shaky start of 6-10 in the 1968-69 season, New York managed to clinch 54 wins. On December 19, the Knicks traded Howard Komives and Bellamy to the Detroit Pistons for Dave DeBusschere. This trade had a dual benefit for Reed. Firstly, DeBusschere took over some of the strenuous tasks inside which eased off pressure from Reed. More crucially, as DeBusschere was a bona fide forward, it allowed Reed to revert to his preferred and more effective pivot position. “I feel like a new person since that trade,” Reed expressed back then, “Center is my position.”

The following day after a trade, it was clear which team benefited most from the exchange during a game. The Knicks dominated the Pistons with a score of 135-87, marking a 48-point margin of victory, their largest ever. From December 17th to January 4th, the Knicks went on a 10-game winning streak and followed this with another winning streak of 11 games from January 25th to February 15th.

In the 1968-69 season, the Knicks emphasized their defense, limiting opponents to a league-low average of 105.2 points per game. They were led by Reed who dominated the center and Walt Frazier who exerted pressure on the ball, making the Knicks the top defensive team in the league for five out of the following six seasons. Reed scored an average of 21.1 points per game during the 1968-69 season and set a franchise record with 1,191 rebounds, averaging 14.5 rebounds per game.

The Knicks had an exceptional start in the 1969-70 season with a 14-1 record, marking the first time in the franchise’s history to win 60 regular-season games. This winning streak included a record-setting 18 consecutive victories. Reed was a standout player that season, averaging 21.7 points — his highest season average to date — and earning MVP honors at the 1970 All-Star Game. His consistency was also noteworthy, maintaining an average of 20.9, 20.8, 21.1, 21.7, and 20.9 points per game from the 1966-67 season through the 1970-71 season.

During the 1970 playoffs, the New York Knicks triumphed over the Baltimore Bullets in a seven-game series and overcame the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. This led them to a thrilling Finals face-off with a Los Angeles team that boasted players like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Chamberlain. Both the third and fourth games extended into overtime, with each team securing a victory. Reed, who was instrumental in leading the Knicks to victory in the iconic Game 7, swept the regular season, All-Star, and Finals MVP awards. He and his teammate Frazier were chosen for the All-NBA First Team. This was a first for Knicks players since Harry Gallatin received the honor in the 1953-54 season.

Reed, the left-handed player, posed a challenge for opposition defenders. He had the size and skill to play in the paint, but he was also lethal with his gentle jump shot from as far as 15 feet. Without the ball, he was skilled in setting screens to open space for his teammates, a crucial part of the Knicks’ continuous movement offense.

Teamwork was the hallmark of the Knicks, with every player understanding his specific role. Frazier was known for his dependable playmaking and defense, while DeBusschere was a superior rebounder. Bradley, on the other hand, was a relentless and smart runner, and Dick Barnett made a name for himself as a jump shooter. Reed, Frazier, DeBusschere, and Bradley all earned their places in the Hall of Fame.

The 1970-71 season saw the Knicks fall to a 52-30 record, yet they still managed to secure first place in the Atlantic Division. Reed equaled Harry Gallatin’s all-time club record mid-season by grabbing 33 rebounds in a game against the Cincinnati Royals. He started the All-Star Game once more, averaging 20.9 points and 13.7 rebounds for the season. However, they were knocked out by Baltimore in the Eastern Conference finals. The following 1971-72 season, Reed was plagued by tendinitis in his left knee, which affected his mobility. After missing two weeks early in the season, he made a return, only to be sidelined shortly after due to his knee injury, ending up playing a total of 11 games for the year.

The Knicks ended the 1972-73 season with a record of 57-25 and subsequently clinched another championship. Reed’s contribution had declined compared to two seasons prior, as he averaged just 11.0 points across 69 regular-season games. In the playoffs, the Knicks triumphed over Baltimore and the Boston Celtics before facing the Lakers once again in The Finals. Despite losing the first game, they secured four consecutive wins, culminating in a 102-93 victory in Game 5 that earned them their second championship. Leading a balanced squad, Reed was declared the Finals MVP.

Reed participated in 19 games during the 1973-74 season before he hung up his boots. His 10-year tenure with New York had seen him secure a position in almost all categories within the Knicks’ top 10. He was among the leading three in terms of minutes played (23,073), successful field goals (4,859), rebounds (8,414), and overall points (12,183). In 1976, Reed had the honor of being the first Knicks player to have his jersey number retired.

Over the next few years, the Knicks’ dynasty fell apart. Reed assumed coaching duties for the 1977-78 season, leading the team to a 43-39 record. Despite this, he was dismissed as coach just 14 games into the subsequent season.

Reed worked as an assistant coach at St. John’s before taking up the role of head coach at Creighton University from the 1981-82 to 1984-85 seasons. During his tenure at Creighton, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1981. Reed also coached the 7-foot tall Benoit Benjamin at Creighton, who went on to play for several NBA teams. In 1993, Benjamin and Reed were reunited in the New Jersey Nets organization.

In 1985, Reed began his coaching career with the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant coach, later serving in the same capacity for the Sacramento Kings. On February 29, 1988, he took over from interim coach Bob MacKinnon for the New Jersey Nets, leading the struggling 1987-88 team to a 7-21 finish and ending a disastrous 19-63 season. Reed managed to improve the Nets record to 26-56 the subsequent year before transitioning to a front office role.

Reed took on the role of general manager for the Nets in 1993. He quickly transformed the team into a consistent playoff competitor by 1994. This transformation was largely due to Reed’s drafting of Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, two players who became the face of the Nets in the early 90s. Reed also managed to secure Chuck Daly as the team’s coach for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, a significant achievement. After missing the postseason for four years, the Nets had three consecutive playoff appearances by 1994. Reed transitioned to the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations role in 1996, maintaining his goal of making the Nets a championship team.

Reed joined the Knicks’ front office during the offseason before the 2003-04 campaign, after more than 15 years of service with the Nets. This move took him back to the origins of his professional playing career.

Endurance, pride, dignity, obligation, hard work, and courage might seem like conventional words to describe Reed’s career, but they are fitting. For ten years, he consistently demonstrated these qualities on the basketball court. However, they were most notably condensed into a few memorable minutes at the commencement of Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. Twenty years after that iconic night, Reed observed, “Not a day goes by without someone reminding me of that game.”