Willis Reed’s Vintage Moment Turns 40
bill bradley, Cazzie Russell, dave debusschere, David Stern, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Phil Jackson, red holzman, Walt Frazier, willis reed, Wilt Chamberlain | Comments Off
by Chris TomassonFiled under: Knicks, Lakers, NBA Playoffs
Turns out the fans had a bit of a warm-up before The Captain came out.
It was May 8, 1970, Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Would Knicks star center Willis Reed, who had suffered a serious leg injury in Game 5, be able to make the opening tipoff?
Suddenly, the fans saw a Knicks player emerge from the tunnel. Was this The Captain, which is what Reed had been dubbed due to his team role?
"I had gotten kneed in the thigh ...