Willis Reed

File:WillisReed.jpg

Willis Reed

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.

Before The Glory

Willis was born in Bernice, Louisiana, 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 amassed 2,280 career points, averaged 26.6 points and 21.3 rebounds during his senior year, and led the school to one NAIA title and three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships. He was a second-round draft choice of the Knicks in 1964 and signed with the franchise for about $10,000. Reed made an immediate impact. In March, 1965 he scored 46 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, the second highest single-game total ever by a Knicks rookie. For the season, he ranked seventh in the NBA in scoring (19.5 points per game) and fifth in rebounding (14.7 rebounds per game). He also began his string of All-Star appereances and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.5 points per game and 14.7 rebounds per game.

Reed proved to be a clutch playoff performer throughout his career. He gave an early indication of this in 1966-67 when he bettered his regular-season average of 20.9 points per game by scoring 27.5 points per contest in the postseason

The Makings of A Champion

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 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stood 7-1 and 7-2, respectively).

The team continued to struggle for a few years while adding good players through trades and the draft. Perhaps the most important personnel move was the decision to replace Dick McGuire as coach with Red Holzman midway through the 1967-68 season. The Knicks had gone 15-22 under McGuire; Holzman steered them with to a 28-17 finish. New York's 43-39 record gave the team its first winning record since 1958-59.

Reed continued to make annual appearances in the NBA All-Star Game. By this time he was playing power forward instead of center in order to make room for Walt Bellamy. Reed continued to work hard on the boards, averaging 11.6 rebounds in 1965-66 and 14.6 in 1966-67, both top-10 marks in the league. By the latter season he had adjusted to the nuances of his new position, averaging 20.9 points to rank eighth in the NBA.

His Greatest Year

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, as well as being named as ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year.

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. The moment he walked onto the court was voted the greatest moment in the history of Madison Square Garden.

The Makings of 1973

The Knicks slipped to 52-30 in the 1970-71 season, still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division> in mid-season, Reed tied Harry Gallatin's all-time club record by hauling in 33 rebounds against the Cincinnati Royals. Once again Reed started in the All-Star game. For the season, he averaged 20.9 ppg and 13.7 rpg, but the Knicks were eliminated by the Baltimore Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1971-72 Reed was bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, limiting his mobility. He missed two weeks early in the season and returned, but shortly thereafter the injured knee prohibited him from playing and he totaled 11 games for the year.

The 1972-73 Knicks finish the season with a 57-25 record and went on to win another NBA title. Reed was less of a contributor than he had two season earlier. In 69 regular-season games he averaged only 100.0 points. In the playoffs the Knicks beat Baltimore and the Boston Celtics and once more faced the Lakers in the finals. After losing the first game, the Knicks captured four straight, claiming their second NBA Championship with a 102-93 victory in Game 5. Reed was named NBA Finals MVP.

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.

After The Glory

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. During his time as general manager, he drafted Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson and gave the Nets a playoff contender throughout the early 1990s. Reed also staged a minor coup when he lured Chuck Daly to coach the Nets for 1992-93 and 1993-94. In 1996, Reed moved to the position of Senior Vice President of Basketball, with the same focus of building the Nets into a championship contender. The Nets did by making it to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. He is presently the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Hornets.

External links

• BasketballReference.com: Willis Reed (as coach)
• BasketballReference.com: Willis Reed (as player)
• Basketball Hall of Fame: Willis Reed

Further reading

• Heisler, Mark (2003). Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-577-1. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)