Photo caption: Willis Reed when he was a spokesman for the Michelob/NBA All Star balloting program in 1980. (Photo courtesy of Crusader archives)
NBA Hall of Famer and Knicks legend, Willis Reed, has died at the age of 80 according to multiple reports.
In 2018, Reed underwent surgery after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Willis Reed was arguably the greatest Knicks player of all time. The two-time NBA Finals MVP was a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary team, named an All-Star five times and Reed and won league MVP in the 1969-70 season. He was also named to the All-NBA team five times. Reed was also a Louisiana native and standout at Grambling State University.
Although undersized, the 6-foot-10, 235-pound center averaged nearly 19 points and 13 rebounds during his career. Reed is also one of three players to ever win All-Star MVP, NBA MVP, and NBA Finals MVP in the same season. The only other players to achieve this feat are Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
From ESPN:
His most famous moment came during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. After a thigh injury had sidelined him in the previous game, Reed shocked the Madison Square Garden crowd by walking onto the court during warmups.
He scored the Knicks’ first two field goals and went on to win Finals MVP as the Knicks won the franchise’s first championship. Reed was again named Finals MVP two seasons later after New York’s second title.
Reed’s career was cut short by injuries, and he retired shortly after the second title run. He went on to briefly coach the Knicks before taking over at Creighton from 1981-85.
He eventually joined the New Jersey Nets in 1988, first as a coach and then as a member of the front office, helping to build the franchise into a championship contender in the early 2000s.
Reed’s legacy as one of the greatest basketball players to ever live will never die.
R.I.P Willis Reed, a true legend.
This article originally appeared on NewsOne.
