Willis Reed was an all-time New York Knicks great who helped his team win two NBA championships in the 1970s.
- Died: March 21, 2023 (Who else died on March 21?)
- Details of death: Died of heart failure at the age of 80.
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Basketball career
Reed played college basketball at Grambling State University before being selected by the Knicks in the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft. He was NBA Rookie of the Year his first season, and he was named an All-Star that same year. That was the first of seven All-Star appearances, including being named the All-Star Game MVP in 1970. Also in 1970, Reed helped the Knicks to victory in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. They beat the Lakers again in 1973 in Reed’s second to last season as a player. Reed became known for playing through injury, including in the 1970 Finals, when unexpectedly started game seven despite a muscle tear in his thigh. Repeated injuries would eventually cut his career short, and he retired from playing in 1974 after a career spent exclusively with the Knicks.
After his retirement, Reed coached the Knicks briefly before being hired as head coach at Creighton University. He returned to the NBA to coach the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, and New Jersey Nets. He rounded out his career by moving to a management position as vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Hornets. Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, and his No. 19 jersey was retired by the Knicks in 1976, the first to be so honored by the team. He was elected to the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and the NBA Southwest Division championship trophy was named for Reed in 2021.
Notable quote
“When I walk in and see my number (19) hanging from the ceiling, that’s what I’m most proud of. I think to myself that all the hard work paid off.” —from a 2016 interview for the New York Times
Tributes to Willis Reed
Full obituary: The New York Times
