"Here comes Willis, and the crowd is going wild," proclaimed broadcaster Marv Albert back on May 8, 1970.
If you were a New York Knickerbockers fan, the news that injured Knicks team captain and center Willis Reed was in uniform and making his way to the court just before the tipoff of Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals no doubt had you fired you up.
The Knicks and Lakers were tied at three games apiece, and Reed, who sustained a severe injury to his right thigh in Game 5 of the series and missed the following contest, was back to help his team. He got things started on the right foot, scoring on New York's first two possessions. And for much of the game, he played tough defense against the Lakers' mighty center, Wilt Chamberlain, and energized his teammates and Madison Square Garden fans.
The Knicks went on to a memorable 113-99 win to claim their first NBA championship. Reed's grand entrance onto the Garden floor has dominated the discussion of this Finals series in the past 27 years. But let's not forget the contributions of his teammates and the great coaching of Red Holzman. The '69-70 Knicks were a team to be reckoned with and their league-best 60 wins proved it.
So today, on the anniversary of their 1970 NBA title, let's hear it not only for Reed, but also for Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, Mike Riordan, Bill Hosket, Nate Bowman, Don May, John Warren, Phil Jackson and Coach Holzman. They all deserve to be recognized as winners.
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