Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, he was voted one of the "

50 Greatest Players in NBA History The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...

". In October 2021, Reed was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. After retiring as a player, Reed served as assistant and head coach with several teams for nearly a decade, then was promoted to general manager and vice president of basketball operations (1989–1996) for the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

. As senior vice president of basketball operations, he led them to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.

Early life and education

Reed was born on June 25, 1942, in

Dubach, Louisiana Dubach is a town in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 961 at the 2010 census, an increase from 800 in 2000. Dubach High School, located centrally in the town, is noted for fielding good athletic teams in basketball and ...

, within Lincoln Parish. He grew up on a farm in nearby

Bernice, Louisiana Bernice is a town in Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,689 at the 2010 census, a decrease from 1,809 in 2000. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The area was part of the Louisiana frontie ...

. His parents worked to ensure Reed got an education in the

segregated South In the United States, racial segregation is the systematic separation of facilities and services such as Housing in the United States, housing, Healthcare in the United States, healthcare, Education in the United States, education, Employment in ...

. Reed showed athletic ability at an early age and played basketball at West Side High School in Lillie, Louisiana. Reed attended

Grambling State University Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Herita ...

, a historically black college. Playing for the Grambling State Tigers men's basketball team, Reed amassed 2,280 career points, averaging 26.6 points per game and 21.3 rebounds per game during his senior year. He led the Tigers to one NAIA title and three Southwestern Athletic Conference championships. Reed also became a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Career

The New York Knicks selected Reed in the second round, with the eighth overall selection, in the

1964 NBA draft The 1964 NBA draft was the 18th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 4, 1964, before the 1964–65 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...

. Reed quickly made a name as a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor. In March 1965, he scored 46 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, the second-highest single-game total ever by the Knicks' rookie. For the 1964–65 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 appearances and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award while also being named to the

NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...

. Reed proved to be a clutch playoff performer throughout his career. He gave an early indication of this in the 1966–67 season when he improved his regular season averages to 20.9 points per game, and scoring 27.5 points per game in the postseason. He played

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

. Despite his relatively average stature for a basketball player, he made up for his lack of height by playing a physical game, often ending seasons with respectable averages in blocking and rebounding. He stood but like common practice was listed with shoes at 6'10", when contemporaries such as

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...

and

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem (alternatively spelled Karim or Kerim) ( ar, کریم) is a common given name and surname of Arabic origin that means "generous", "noble", "honorable". It is also one of the Names of God in Islam in the Quran. Given name Karim * Karim A ...

stood and , respectively, during their playing careers. The team continued to struggle for a few years while adding good players through trades and the draft. Dick McGuire was replaced as coach with

Red Holzman William "Red" Holzman (August 10, 1920 – November 13, 1998) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known as the head coach of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1967 to ...

, midway through the 1967–68 season. The Knicks had gone 15–22 under McGuire; Holzman steered them to a 28–17 finish. In 1968, New York's record was 43–39, its first winning record since the 1958–59 season. Reed continued to make annual appearances in the

NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is a basketball exhibition game hosted every February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. It is the featured event of NBA All-Star Weekend, ...

. By this time, he was playing power forward, to make room for

Walt Bellamy Walter Jones Bellamy (July 24, 1939 – November 2, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. A four-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. College career Bellamy chose to play basket ...

. Reed averaged 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. In 1968–69, New York held opponents to a league-low 105.2 points per game. With Reed clogging the middle and

Walt Frazier Walter "Clyde" Frazier Jr. (born March 29, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As their floor general and top perimeter defender, he led the New York Knicks to the franchise's o ...

pressuring the ball, the Knicks would be the best defensive club in the league for five of the next six seasons. Reed scored 21.1 points per game in 1968–69 and grabbed a franchise-record 1,191 rebounds, an average of 14.5 rebounds per game.

First championship

In the 1969–70 season, the Knicks won a franchise-record 60 games and set a then single-season NBA record with an 18-game win streak. In 1970, Reed became the first player in NBA history to be named the

NBA All-Star Game MVP The NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to de ...

, the NBA regular season MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season. That same year, he was named to the

All-NBA First Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...

and NBA All-Defensive First Team, as well as being named as ABC's '' Wide World of Sports'' Athlete of the Year, and the Sporting News NBA MVP. Reed's most famous performance took place on May 8, 1970, during game seven of the

1970 NBA Finals The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1970 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the 1969–70 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Div ...

against the Los Angeles Lakers in Madison Square Garden. Due to a severe thigh injury, a torn muscle that had previously kept him out of game six, he was considered unlikely to play in game seven. However, Reed surprised the fans by walking onto the court during warmups, prompting widespread applause. Starting the game, he scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts, his only points of the game. Following the game in the winner's locker room, a moved

Howard Cosell Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

told Reed on national television, "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer."

Second championship

The Knicks slipped to a 52–30 record in the 1970–71 season, still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division; and in mid-season, Reed tied Harry Gallatin's all-time club record by grabbing 33 rebounds against the

Cincinnati Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. Once again, Reed started in the All-Star Game. For the season, he averaged 20.9 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, 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. Without Reed, the Knicks still managed to make the NBA Finals, but were defeated in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers. The 1972–73 Knicks finished the season with a 57–25 record and went on to win another NBA title. Reed was less of a contributor than he was two seasons earlier. In 69 regular season games, he averaged only 11.0 points. In the playoffs, the Knicks beat the Bullets and upset the Boston Celtics, and again faced the Lakers in the NBA Finals. After losing the first game, the Knicks captured four straight, claiming their second NBA championship with a 102–93 victory in game five. Reed was named NBA Finals MVP. Reed's career was cut short by injuries, and he retired after the 1973–74 season. For his career, Reed averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, playing 650 games. He played in seven All-Star Games.

Post-playing career

Reed spent several years coaching before moving into general management. He coached the Knicks in 1977–1978, and left the team 14 games into the following season (49–47 record). He was the head coach at

Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate and undergra ...

from 1981 to 1985 and volunteer assistant coach for St. John's University. Reed also served as an assistant coach for the NBA's

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

and

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. Reed debuted as head coach of the

on March 1, 1988, one week after the Nets' star forward (and Reed's cousin)

Orlando Woolridge Orlando Vernada Woolridge (December 16, 1959 – May 31, 2012) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1994. He was known for his scoring ability, especially on slam dunks ...

was suspended by the league and was to undergo drug rehabilitation. He compiled a 33–77 record with the Nets. In 1989, he was hired as the Nets' general manager and vice president of basketball operations (1989–1996). During this time, he drafted

Derrick Coleman Derrick Demetrius Coleman (born June 21, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. Coleman was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up and attended high school in Detroit, and attended college at Syracuse University. He was select ...

and Kenny Anderson, acquired

Dražen Petrović Dražen Petrović (; 22 October 1964 – 7 June 1993) was a Yugoslav and Croatian professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he initially achieved success playing professional basketball in Europe in the 1980s, before joining the Nati ...

, and made the Nets a playoff contender throughout the early 1990s. Reed hired Chuck Daly to coach the Nets for the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons. In 1996, Reed moved to the position of senior vice president of basketball operations, with the continued goal of building the Nets into a championship contender. The Nets made the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Reed next took the position of vice president of basketball operations with the

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

in 2004. He retired from that position in 2007.

Legacy

* In 1970, Reed was inducted into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame * In 1982, Reed was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame * In 1997, Reed was elected to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team * In 2021, Reed was elected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team * The March 16, 2022, game between Kent State and Southern Utah at

The Basketball Classic The Basketball Classic presented by ERACE is a single-elimination, fully-bracketed men's college basketball postseason tournament created in 2022 as successor to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, featuring 32 National Collegiate A ...

was designated the Willis Reed Game. * Starting with the 2021–22 NBA season, the NBA Southwest Division champion would receive the Willis Reed Trophy.

In popular media

Rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

songs have mentioned Reed, recognizing his impressive athleticism and skill. Examples include

Kurtis Blow Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper ...

's 1984 hit "

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

" on his ''Ego Trip'' album, and the Beastie Boys' "Long Burn The Fire" on their 2011 album ''

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two ''Hot Sauce Committee Part Two'' is the eighth and final studio album by American hip hop band Beastie Boys, released on May 3, 2011, through Capitol Records. The project was originally planned to be released in two parts, with ''Hot Sauce Commi ...

''. Reed's name has become synonymous with playing through injury, as

Cris Collinsworth Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional American football player. Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981-1988), all with ...

described an injured Aaron Rodgers as having a "Willis Reed kind of night" on the '' NBC Sunday Night Football'' broadcast on September 9, 2018.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , style="background:#cfecec;", 80* , , , , 38.0 , , .432 , , , , .742 , , 14.7 , , 1.7 , , — , , — , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 76 , , , , 33.4 , , .434 , , , , .757 , , 11.6 , , 1.2 , , , , , , 15.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 78 , , , , 36.2 , , .489 , , , , .735 , , 14.6 , , 1.6 , , , , , , 20.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 81 , , , , 35.5 , , .490 , , , , .721 , , 13.2 , , 2.0 , , , , , , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 82 , , , , 37.9 , , .521 , , , , .747 , , 14.5 , , 2.3 , , , , , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 81 , , , , 38.1 , , .507 , , , , .756 , , 13.9 , , 2.0 , , , , , , 21.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 73 , , , , 39.1 , , .462 , , , , .785 , , 13.7 , , 2.0 , , , , , , 20.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 11 , , , , 33.0 , , .438 , , , , .692 , , 8.7 , , 2.0 , , , , , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 69 , , , , 27.2 , , .474 , , , , .742 , , 8.6 , , 1.8 , , , , , , 11.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 19 , , , , 26.3 , , .457 , , , , .792 , , 7.4 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , 11.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 650 , , , , 35.5 , , .476 , , , , .747 , , 12.9 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , 1.1 , , 18.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 7 , , 4 , , 23.0 , , .452 , , , , .750 , , 8.3 , , 1.0 , , , , , , 12.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 4 , , , , 37.0 , , .538 , , , , .960 , , 13.8 , , 1.8 , , , , , , 27.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1968 , style="text-align:left;", New York , 6 , , , , 35.0 , , .541 , , , , .733 , , 10.3 , , 1.8 , , , , , , 21.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1969 , style="text-align:left;", New York , 10 , , , , 42.9 , , .510 , , , , .786 , , 14.1 , , 1.9 , , , , , , 25.7 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

1970 Events January * January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC. * January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme''). Between 10,000 and ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 18 , , , , 40.7 , , .471 , , , , .737 , , 13.8 , , 2.8 , , , , , , 23.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1971 , style="text-align:left;", New York , 12 , , , , 42.0 , , .413 , , , , .667 , , 12.0 , , 2.3 , , , , , , 15.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 17 , , , , 28.6 , , .466 , , , , .857 , , 7.6 , , 1.8 , , , , , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1974 , style="text-align:left;", New York , 11 , , , , 12.0 , , .378 , , , , .600 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , 3.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 78 , , , , 33.9 , , .474 , , , , .765 , , 10.3 , , 1.9 , , .2 , , .0 , , 17.4

References

;Footnotes ;Bibliography *

External links

Profile
at Basketball Hall of Fame
Summary
at NBA.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Willis 1942 births Living people 1963 FIBA World Championship players 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players African-American sports executives and administrators American men's basketball players American sports executives and administrators Atlanta Hawks assistant coaches Basketball coaches from Louisiana Basketball players at the 1963 Pan American Games Basketball players from Louisiana Centers (basketball) College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Creighton Bluejays men's basketball coaches Grambling State Tigers men's basketball players Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees New Jersey Nets executives New Jersey Nets head coaches New Orleans Hornets executives New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks head coaches New York Knicks players Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in basketball People from Dubach, Louisiana People from Bernice, Louisiana Power forwards (basketball) Sacramento Kings assistant coaches St. John's Red Storm men's basketball coaches United States men's national basketball team players