Willis Reed, who famously made a dramatic exit from the locker room just before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to lead the New York Knicks to their first title and set one of sports’ most famous examples of playing through pain, passed away on Tuesday.
He was 80.
Willis Reed: cause of death: How did Willis Reed die?
The National Basketball Retired Players Association made a statement about Reed’s passing after receiving confirmation from his family.
The cause of Reed’s death was not made public, but he had recently been experiencing health issues and was unable to go to New York for the Knicks’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA Championship squad on February 25 when they played New Orleans.
His accomplishments—including seven All-Star selections and two MVP honors in the NBA Finals—would have been enough to get him into the Hall of Fame on their own. He made history by winning the MVP trophies for the regular season, All-Star Game, and NBA Finals in the 1969–70 season.
But, the act of simply stepping onto the court on the season’s last night was enough to cement his place in history.
In Game 5 of the series between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, Reed went down on the field in discomfort after pulling a thigh muscle. In contrast, Wilt Chamberlain recorded 45 points and 27 rebounds in Game 6 of their series, which the Lakers dominated. This victory forced a decisive game at Madison Square Garden.
