Former New York Knicks legend and star player, Willis Reed, has died at the age of 80. Reed was a beloved player for the Knicks from the mid-60s until the mid-70s, delivering a couple of titles for the city in 1970 and 1973.
Players were quick to send their condolences to Reed’s family.
Although undersized for the center position, Reed was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1965, won the league MVP in 1970, was a seven-time All-star, and was a member of five All-NBA teams.
He was best remembered for his walk outside the tunnel and playing against Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers in the seventh game of the 1970 NBA Finals. Reed did not play the previous game but he suited up and played 27 minutes in the series-deciding match against Los Angeles.
At that moment, he instantly catapulted into a beloved hero figure in New York and is remembered as one of the best to ever play in a Knicks uniform.
Fondly known as ‘The Captain’, he averaged 18.7 PPG and 12.9 RPG during his 10-year stint in the league – all in New York.
