in Game 7 of the NBA Finals that day at Madison Square Garden in the hopes of winning the franchise's first-ever championship. Reed -- who had missed Game 6 with a severe thigh injury -- wasn't expected to play.
"Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader. My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks' championship teams in the early 1970s," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement."He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.
Harvey Araton, the author of"When the Garden was Eden," a book on those 1970s Knicks, said those values were summed up to him when, as part of the reporting for the book, he left Reed a copy of a video of Game 5 of the 1970 finals -- one that Reed had told Araton, prior to watching it with him, he'd never seen before.
StreetHymns 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Damn RIP 🙏🏾
RIP to one of the single toughest players to ever lace them up.
Rip To NBA Legend, Willis Reed. My condolences & sympathies go out to the Reed Fam. God Bless!!!
Good man
Rest In Peace Willis Reed
And yet the game he is most noted for (1970 NBA final game 7) he only scored 2 pts in 27 minutes. 😉 RIP champ.
Totally devastated. I had three posters in my room as a young boy, Tom Seaver, Walt Frazier and “the captain” Willis Reed”. He was the epitome of what a captain should be and was my idol in basketball. RIP captain, you will always be remembered as a true leader and gentleman.
Rest In Eternal Peace Captain 🙏🏽 😞🏀
Legend
AdamSchefter RIP People who have the GOAT debates have no idea about the golden era in basketball. Willis Reed was a great player who played with and against some of the best.
AdamSchefter Him and Joe Biden the same age
RIP Captain ! You were the leader of a group of stars that played team basketball and won two NBA Championships. Best of all you were a great person ! Knicks fans of all ages will always remember you !
womp womp
RIH Bro. Reed! 🙏🏿🙏🏿🤘🏿🤘🏿🤘🏿GOMAB
RIP Sir, condolence his family, to the family, dry ur eyes, look around, ur guy,team mate, father, husband, brother, uncle and cousin has been rewarded, he has no more problems, pains nor ugliness too deal with, miss him but truly celebrate his send off...
RIP.
RIP, Captain! He was a class act! 🙏
🙏😢💙🕊
Heartfelt Prayers and Condolences to the Family and Friends of the Great Willis Reed. He will be sorely missed. NYers have lost a true Basketball legend. Many more prayers to the Knicks Organization. May he forever RIP 🙏🙏🙏
RIP
RIP Bro. Willis Reed. pbs_1914 Grambling1901
My favorite player to watch as a kid. Capn’ Willis will be missed. RIP. 🙏
I remember approaching the podium at an Ernie Davis banquet in Elmira and asking Willis Reed to autograph a program for a 13 year old not realizing at the time my son would later attend Osseo High in MN and get to know Willis’ grandson, Austin, there. Thank you, Mr. Reed.
🪦 Legend! 🙏
RIP and blessings to the family
My Condolences to Willis Reed’s family, the NBA, and to all his friends who knew him and were privileged to work with him! He seemed like a great man and NBA Leader!RIP Willis Reed and Thank You for your great Contributions to the NBA!
A NY legend forever! Whenever an athlete plays after being injured, its called a Willis Reed!
But did he ever post a video waving a gun?
Who?
Legend!! 😞😢🗽🏀🐐. RIPWillisReed 🕊
May his soul rest in peace
One of the greatest
NYCHoops My favorite Knicks team with Willis. God bless you and rest in peace.
Rip to the 🐐🐐 🧡💙
🪦
Willis Reed's death is a horrible loss to the game and a painful reminder of just how terrible the Knicks have been since the 1970s
One complete all around great player. Even playing on one leg. RIP HOFer.
Legendary hero of Knicks Championship teams of early 70’s —- and inspirational hero to tons of NY area kids like me who grew up watching him play. RIPCaptain
DaltonRichard17 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🖤
hkb73 RIP Willis Reed 💜
Love and Respect
RIP
RIP Willis Reed one of the greatest NBA Players of all time
Rest in Peace
Rip my thoughts and prayers to his family and friends
🙏🏾🙏🏾
R.I.P Willis
Never was a knick fan but definitely a fan of this man
Sad day!!
Willis Reed personified the Knickerbockers for our generation. We grew up with Reed, Frazier, Bradley, DeBusschere, and Russell. But no one exemplified courage, heart, and spirit like the Captain. Playing in Game 7 in 1970 will forever be etched in our minds and hearts. RIP Cap!
One of my heroes . May he rest is peace.
Rest in Power 2 my GramFam Great 🖤🏀💛!!! Will always remember U being injured & returning from the locker room 2 give it yur ALL 4 the Knicks💪🏾!! Many 🙏🏾🕊🙏🏾 of comfort 2 the Reed Family. Greatness 🖤💛
He is dead at 80, on the 80th day of the year.
One of my all time favorite players, met him once, real good guy, DAMN R.I.P. WillisReed
RIP CHAMP 🏆🙏
When I was 14, I sent 8x10 photos I took to each of the Knicks This was 70-71. I sent them with a stamped return envelope for autographs. Willis Reed and Dave Stallworth were the only 2 to send them back RIP Captain ❤️🩹
RIPWillisReed GramFam
RIP BIG FELLA
🙏
Legend
I couldn't appreciate Willis Reed as a youth because my older brother was a Knicks fan, and I was a Lakers fan. However, I know that Willis Reed was a big part of the two chips the Knicks have. The Knicks of 1970, Willis Reed beat in succession, Wes Unseld, Kareem and Wilt. RIP
RIP Knicks legend Willis Reed
RIP Willis… I enjoyed watching you play…
Too bad. Met him as a kid and he was very nice.
A true legend and warrior.
He died? Awwww
Rest well ❤️🩹
🙏🏀🙏 Thank you, Mr. Basketball 🏀 ❤️🏀
AdamSchefter A gritty motherfucker. RIP.
How will this affect Lebrons legacy?
🙏🏾 RIP
AdamSchefter Does he have another comeback in him?
Rip
RIP Legend
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
RIP Willis Reed🙏🏽
🙏🏾🙏🏾
RIP
Game 7. Rest in peace Captain.
Kornheiser is in tears right now
R.I.P.
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Damn. Rest In Peace, Willis! ❤️
AdamSchefter RIP Captain
legend
Rest on Peace Sir
RIP Champ 😢
Remember him limping onto the court and winning us an NBA title.
One of the true champions. Rest in power.
AdamSchefter Dang, too young
GREATEST KNICK TO EVER DO IT THANK YOU SO MUCH
🙏 19
great man, big man player , legend and humanitarian 🙏🙏
💙🙏🏽
Fly high 🕊
One of the greatest to ever lace em up. Rest in peace sir
What a career, dedicated player and loyal to the Knicks!!
AdamSchefter RIP, Captain.
RIP legend 🙏🏾
I wasn’t born when he had “The Willis Reed Game”. But seeing highlights of him coming back on the floor always gives me goosebumps. RIP.
Be so passionate about your passion so much that your life becomes a dream.
🙏✌️❤️
Never forget when he injected himself with a painkiller and won the Knicks a championship
'I think we see Willis coming out.' What an inspiration, R.I.P.
So sad. Thanks for the memories while I was growing up. RIP BIG MAN..
The Knicks have called other players captain, but there was only one Captain. Thank you Willis for so many great memories in my youth. Rest in peace.
🙏
RIP🙏🏽🙏🏽
How does this affect Embiids mvp case tho
damn.
Reed coming out for game 7 of the 1970 nba finals still remains one of the great moments in NBA history
AdamSchefter Nooo. RIP legend
🙏🏿🙏🏿
Great player. Even better person RIP
AdamSchefter Him gimping onto the court was an unforgettable moment.
JulianGuilarte1 🙏🙏
RIP to the Captain. Legend
He was the best, thanks for making my childhood great. Thanks for the GREAT MEMORIES 19 THE CAPTAIN!!!!!!
RIP to this true baller
ESPNNBA Knicks will never win another championship
Absolute legend. I hope something special is done for him in NY
R.I.P Captain 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
AdamSchefter Best captain ny has ever seen (maybe messier) RIP CAPTAIN
ESPNNBA RIP to The Captain 🧡💙
👏🏿
RIP Legend !
DimeDropperPod Fly high big dawg ! 🙏🏽
TMKSESPN RIP to our Captain!
My condolences 🙏🏽 ☹️ to Mr Reed family's and friends RIP 🙏🏽 the Legend himself Mr Reed. thank you for all those wonderful years you played with the NYC Knicks ❤️ 🙏🏽😎
🙏
Great player
RIP ❤️
RIP 🪦
R.I.P Captain
Oh, how sad. I was a huge Knicks fan in the 70s.
Our 🐐 is gone.
Damn
Good Man, not a Knicks fan but I'am a Willis fan
RIP 💔
He will be missed, he’s a story of inspiration. I halfway expect Reed to be in the Knicks lineup next game, just to show us he could do it.
heart and soul of the knicks organization See my homepage plz
Was my favorite player as a kid. Undersized, but stood toe to toe against the great centers of his era. RIP
RIP Legend 🙏🏽
AdamSchefter Rest easy
AdamSchefter RiP big fella!
AdamSchefter My 1st sports Idol. Sad day 🙏
AdamSchefter RIP 🕊️
AdamSchefter 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Thoughts and prayers to his family. A true legend. 🙏🏻🏀
AdamSchefter 😢
ByKimberleyA RIP 🙏🏽🙏🏽
MarcJSpears Rip legend
AdamSchefter RIP Willis
AdamSchefter RIP🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
AdamSchefter 🙏🏾 🙏🏾 🕊 💔
Peaceful Journey 🕊
AdamSchefter Rip🙏🏿
this was my uncle and his wife is my auntie from my dads side i swear feels like yesterday when i was in his beautiful house its sad to see him go nbs
mcten 🙏🏾🕊️
RIP to a warrior! Knicks
🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Rest is peace captain.
RIP 🕊️
RIP Legend 💙🧡
AdamSchefter RIP
Rip a legend ❤️🙏🏽
AdamSchefter Hate to he was r this
🙏
AdamSchefter RIP Legend
AdamSchefter damn....only one thing to do for the Knicks and thats win the whole damn thing!
Rip
AdamSchefter RIP Captain.
AdamSchefter I'm watching him coming out of the tunnel right now
AdamSchefter RIP WILLIS REED 🙏🏻🏀
AdamSchefter RIP 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
AdamSchefter RIP legend
RIP to a legend🙏🏾
AdamSchefter No…….
Oh noooo. Uncle Tony is gonna have a hard day.
AdamSchefter Rest in peace to this legend!
AdamSchefter Rip
AdamSchefter rip
AdamSchefter Rip
RIP to a Knicks legend.
AdamSchefter One of the greatest power forwards ever
AdamSchefter RIP
AdamSchefter PACKKKK 💨
AdamSchefter rip
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