Willis Reed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942, in Bernice, Louisiana) is an American former basketball player, who played his entire career with the New York Knicks. He was a second-round draft choice of the Knicks in 1964 and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.5 points per game and 14.7 rebounds per game. In his first seasons with the Knicks, he played power forward and later gained fame as the starting center.
Despite his average stature (he stood at a mere 6-foot-9 when, for instance, contemporaries such as Wilt Chamberlain and Lew Alcindor stood 7-1 and 7-2, respectively), Reed enjoyed a brilliant career with the Knicks. He won two championship rings, in 1970 and 1973. In 1970, he became the first player in NBA history to be named the NBA All-Star Game MVP, the NBA regular season MVP, and the NBA Playoff MVP in the same season. That same year, he was named to the All-NBA first team and NBA All-Defensive first team.
Reed's most famous performance took place on May 8, 1970, during Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in Madison Square Garden. Despite a severe thigh injury - a torn muscle - he started the game in front of a thrilled audience and scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts. It was all the inspiration the Knicks needed, as teammate Walt "Clyde" Frazier went on to score 36 points. The Knicks won the game 113-99, giving New York City its first NBA title.
Reed's career was cut short by injuries, and he had to retire after the 1973-1974 season, his 10th. For his career, Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, playing 650 games. He played in seven All-Star Games.
For all his achievements, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. He is widely considered as one of the greatest Knicks ever, with the likes of Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing.
Reed played college basketball at Grambling State University, where he scored 2,280 career points, averaged 26.6 points and 21.3 rebounds as a senior, and led Grambling to an NAIA title and three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships.
He coached the Knicks in 1977–1978. He served as volunteer assistant coach for St. John's University and head coached Creighton University from 1981–1985. Also in the 1980s, he served as an assistant coach for both the Sacramento Kings and the Atlanta Hawks. He became the head coach of the New Jersey Nets in 1988-89, compiling an 82-124 record. He became the Nets' General Manager & Vice President of Basketball Operations from 1988 to 1996. He is presently the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Hornets.
[edit] External links
- BasketballReference.com: Willis Reed (as coach)
- BasketballReference.com: Willis Reed (as player)
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Willis Reed
Barnett | Bowman | Bradley | DeBusschere | Frazier | Hosket | May | Reed (Finals MVP) | Riordan | C. Russell | Stallworth | Warren | Coach Holzman
[edit] Further reading
- Heisler, Mark (2003). Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1572435771.
| Preceded by: Red Holzman |
New York Knicks Head Coach 1977–1978 |
Succeeded by: Red Holzman |
| Preceded by: Bob MacKinnon |
New Jersey Nets Head Coach 1988–1989 |
Succeeded by: Bill Fitch |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Reed, Willis Jr. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | American basketball player for the New York Knicks |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 25, 1942 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hico, Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: 1942 births | Living people | Basketball Hall of Fame | American basketball coaches | American basketball players | Creighton Bluejays men's basketball coaches | New Jersey Nets coaches | New York Knicks coaches | New York Knicks players | Atlanta Hawks | Sacramento Kings | Phi Beta Sigma brothers | Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey | St. John's Red Storm basketball | Grambling Tigers men's basketball players | African American basketball players
