What happened to NBA legend Willis Reed and why is he in the news of late?
Willis Reed was one of the best players in the 1970s NBA and is most known for playing an integral part in the New York Knicks winning two NBA Championships in the 70s. While Reed commands incredible respect amongst the basketball community, many newer fans only learned about him when the news of his death surfaced on social media on Tuesday, 21st March.
His death at 80 was confirmed by his former teammate Bill Bradley, the former United States senator. He said Reed had congestive heart issues. It was not clear where Reed died, but he had been under treatment at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Bradley said.
Reed was notably absent last month, for health reasons, when the Knicks celebrated their 1972-73 championship team during a 50th-anniversary halftime ceremony at Madison Square Garden attended by many former members of that squad, including Bradley, Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas. Reed spoke to the crowd in a prerecorded video.
In an era when Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were the more celebrated big men, Reed was a highly skilled 6-foot-9 center with a resolute physicality that was much admired over a 10-year career, though it was marred by injury and ended at 31.
What is Willis Reed best known for in his NBA career?
Reed is best known for winning a couple of NBA championships back in his prime.
Reed won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 1969-70 season and was named the MVP of the championship series. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1965, was voted an All-Star seven times and won another NB title and finals MVP with the Knicks in 1973. For his career, he averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.
He was chosen by the NBA for its 50th and 75th anniversary teams. In 1996, he was chosen by the NBA as one of its 50 greatest players. His No. 19 jersey was the first to be retired by the Knicks, on Oct. 21, 1976. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
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