Willis Reed
The heart of the Knicks' championship era.
Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Reed was a seven-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, including once on the first team in 1970, when he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was a two-time NBA champion (1970, 1973) and was voted the NBA Finals MVP both times. He is the only 2nd round NBA draft pick to have won the award twice. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
- Role
- Center
- Knicks Tenure
- 1964–1974
- Championships
- 2 (1970, 1973)
- Finals MVP Awards
- 2 (1970, 1973)
- All-Star Selections
- 7
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Born on June 25, 1942, in Hico, Louisiana, Willis Reed Jr. was the only child of Willis Sr. and Inell Reed. He played basketball at all-black high schools, leading West Side High School to a state championship. He attended Grambling State University, scoring 2,280 career points and leading the Tigers to an NAIA title and three SWAC championships. The New York Knicks selected Reed with the first pick in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1965. His most famous performance came in game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals, where he played through a severe thigh injury, scoring the Knicks' first two field goals and inspiring a 113-99 victory. He was the first second round NBA draft pick to win NBA Finals MVP.
In Their Own Story
The most famous moment of Reed's career occurred on May 8, 1970, during Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Suffering from a severe thigh injury—a torn muscle that had kept him out of Game 6—Reed was considered unlikely to play. Yet, he surprised fans by walking onto the court during warmups, prompting widespread applause. He started the game and scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two attempts, though those were his only points. Reed played 27 minutes, finishing with four points and three rebounds. His appearance threw the Lakers off balance, and New York won 113–99. Afterward, Howard Cosell told him on national television, "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer." The Knicks would return to win a second title in 1973, with Reed scoring 18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the deciding Game 5 victory.
Reader's Guide
Willis Reed played center and power forward for the New York Knicks from 1964 to 1974. He was known for his fierce, dominating, and physical play. After retiring, he coached the Knicks (1977–1978), Creighton University (1981–1985), and the New Jersey Nets (1988–1989), and served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings. He later became general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the New Jersey Nets (1989–1996) and senior vice president of basketball operations when the team reached the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.
Did You Know?
- Reed was the first second round NBA draft pick to win NBA Finals MVP.
- He is the only second round NBA draft pick to have won the NBA Finals MVP award twice.
- Reed once scored 58 points in a high school game playing barefoot after his shoes were stolen.
- He was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP, regular season MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season (1970).
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