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Willis Reed, a basketball Hall of Famer and New York Knicks legend, died Tuesday at the age of 80. Reed spent his entire career with the Knicks, winning two championships and one MVP award.
The basketball legend was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary team. Besides his playing career, Reed served as both assistant and head coach for several teams.
He is one of the most decorated players to ever play the game of basketball. With five All-NBA selections, two Finals MVP awards and impressive stats, the 6-foot-10 big man had a career for the ages.
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Willis Reed spent 10 years in the NBA
Willis Reed was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1964. He had a dominant season in his rookie campaign, averaging 19.5 points per game on 43.2% shooting. Reed was also one of the best rebounders in the league with 14.7 per game.
The Knicks legend was so good that he was named an All-Star in each of his first seven seasons. In 1970, the big man won his first championship as the Knicks defeated the LA Lakers.
Despite playing against several Hall of Famers, including Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, Reed put on a fantastic show and led his team to a the promised land after seven games.
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Reed averaged 23.0 ppg and 10.5 rpg. He missed Game 6, but returned to the final game of the series despite dealing with a thigh injury. The big man scored the first points for the Knicks and received a lot of praise for this performance.
Willis Reed played with a lot of heart and soul, which was on full display in the 1970 NBA Finals.
The Knicks made the finals again in 1972, but lost because Reed was out with an injury. However, they returned to the finals a year later for another matchup with the Lakers and won it all once again.
Reed was also a basketball coach and executive
Besides his astonishing career as a player, the basketball legend also tried his hand at coaching. Unsurprisingly, the first team that he coached was the New York Knicks.
Reed also served as assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings, and he coached the New Jersey Nets for one season as well.
Besides his NBA coaching career, Reed also served as the head coach of the Creighton Bluejays from 1981 to 1985.
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He was eventually hired as the Nets’ general manager and vice president of basketball operations for six seasons. While performing in this position, Reed made the Nets a playoff contender and drafted several great players, including Derrick Coleman and Drazen Petrovic.
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