There is much buzz about the New York Knicks victory last night. More about that later, perhaps.
When I was a boy, I used to listen to Knicks games on the radio when home games were “blacked out” for TV. Marv Albert called the games.
During the 1970 playoffs, one outstanding performance jars my memory. Willis Reed was the Knicks’ center. He was not as tall as many of the other centers in the NBA at that time, but he was strong and solid and determined.
During one game, he scored 36 points and pulled down 36 rebounds. In the same game. It’s almost unimaginable. How can someone possibly do that? I distinctly remember Marv Albert exclaiming over Reed’s performance at the end of the game.
It should be added that Reed did this after receiving an injection in his knee before the game because he had serious knee problems. That, of course, augmented the heroic nature of his accomplishment.
Willis Reed was a two-time NBA champion (1970, 1973) and was voted the NBA Finals MVP both times. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
His 10 years in the NBA was marked by excellence on the court.
Nice to have those memories, TC.
When I think back about those numbers in that particular game, Fred, I find it hard to come up with a modern parallel. Of course, the game has changed, but even then…
Yes, he was great. I remember those two championships; and there have been none since. But it appears it probably will happen this year.
I’m not a serious basketball fan but as a kid, Willis Reed was a hero. It was his determination that won the day!
He was amazing, Larry. He stood up to centers that were much taller like Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar and he beat them.