The Knicks were in Miami last night to face the Heat, one day after the death of franchise and NBA icon Willis Reed on Tuesday from congestive heart failure. Known as the Captain, Reed was the heart and soul of the organization’s two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. The Grambling Tiger great played his entire career with the Knicks from 1964–1974. He was one of the most revered and respected figures in the history of New York sports teams.
“The Knicks organization is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Captain, Willis Reed,” the Knicks said in a statement. “As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind—the unmatched leadership, sacrifice, and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also paid tribute to Reed, a 6’10” center who was the 1965 NBA’s Rookie of the Year, 1970 league MVP, a seven-time All-Star, and honoree of the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
“Willis Reed was the ultimate team player and consummate leader. My earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball are of watching Willis, who embodied the winning spirit that defined the New York Knicks’ championship teams in the early 1970s,” said Silver in a statement released through the league.
Reed also coached the Knicks from 1977–78, as well as Creighton from 1981–85 and the New Jersey Nets from 1988–89.
The current group of Knicks is trying to continue the legacy established by Reed. On Monday at Madison Square Garden, Julius Randle scored a career-high 57 points, but it came in a 140–134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle’s tone after the game reflected his desire to win more so than achieving individual accomplishments.
“Those are legends in this game, and pioneers specifically for this organization, who laid the groundwork and led the way for players like myself to come behind them and be able to play the game I love and be able to go out and put on that Knicks jersey with pride,” said Randle.
“I just want to win,” he said of being behind Carmelo Anthony’s franchise record 62 points and Bernard King’s 60. Richie Guerin also scored 57.
The Knicks were 42–31 and the No. 5 seed in the East before playing Miami. They were 3.5 games behind the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. They have eight more regular season games remaining, including tonight versus the Magic in Orlando, and the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat at MSG next Monday and Wednesday respectively.