RIP Willis Reed

[Billy Jack]

I can see the shot in my mind's eye. To try try imitate it would be something from anybody.



Post/handle



RIP, Willis.

Grew up a Celtics fan, but very much remember that era Knicks fondly, because, so many college friends were fans, and so many great players: college stars like Cazzie, Stallworth, Bradley, Meminger. Two-sport guy DeBuschere. Phil Jackson who the New Yorkers loved to dump on. And Riordan, out of Providence. And Clyde & Pearl out of mid-majors.

Those 2 schools weren’t mid majors. In fact, they weren’t majors at all. They were in what was the equivalent of today’s Division II.

 

[Billy Jack]

I still get irked how Clyde always instigated the contact but never was called for the foul. It was always and 1.

Why would you get irked? It was a foul because Clyde would head & shoulder fake first, and then the defender would go for the fake and jump up. Once he was off his feet, any contact was a foul. It was perfectly legal for Clyde to make a move toward the basket and into the defender once the defender was off his feet. Smart move by Clyde.

 

[Frank06830]

I was 3. Lived in Tenafly. My Dad and Mom maintain that my Dad took me to that game (in fact he just texted me when he saw the news today), but I don't remember it. But he was a season ticket holder through late 60's to mid 70's and was definitely there. So I probably was. The stubs are on the wall of his rec room. It's quite an impressive wall, as he had season tickets or shared season tickets to knicks, rangers and jets and saved them all. I remember the 73 run like yesterday though. Loved that team in my formative years. Loved the Jets even more. Joe Willie.

I was actually one of the 19,500 that night A college sophomore waited online overnight to get my playoff strip of tickets. Got to see every home game of the ‘70 Championship.
What a thrill. Bullets first round vs Monroe, Unseld, Johnson, Marin and Loghery/Carter. Went 7 including 2 OT first game. Then Kareem and Bucks in 5 before getting to Lakers. West, Chamberlain, Baylor. What a series. Reed got hurt in 5th game and Holztman then had Stallworth, DeBusschere and Hoskins play Chamberlain. Chamberlain would come out to foul line to match Stallworh and he would simple drive around him to get bucket. Over and over again. Game 6 Reed out Knicks got killed in LA. Game 7 in NY without Reed it didn’t look good.
when Reed came out just moments before players were finished shooting pre game, the Garden went wild with hope.
Reed hit his first two jumpers from the elbow and then Frazier simply took over. 36 pTs, 19 Assists. Magical night. little did I know similar to the similar magical nights in 1999, 2004, 2011,2014. RIP Willis. Class act