Willis Reed, the Hall of Fame NBA center who won two championships with the New York Knicks including his legendary hobbling return to the court in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals, died today.
He was 80. His former teammate-turned-U.S. senator Bill Bradley told The New York Times that had Reed died but gave no details other than he’d been undergoing treatment at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.
Reed’s career was cut short by injury after 10 seasons, but he endured himself to fans and rivals for his determination to play hurt.
That grit was exemplified during the 1970 NBA Finals against Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite tearing a muscle in his right hip area in Game 5 and sitting out the next game, he returned for the decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
Read more on deadline.com