Welcome to LWOS Basketball department “NBA Time Traveler Series,” the column that imagines which retired player from an NBA franchise one would most want to travel back in time to see them play again in their prime. The LWOS Basketball department will review each of the 30 NBA franchises and which retired player would be their “NBA Time Traveler Player.”
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NBA Time Traveler Series: Time Travel to See Willis Reed Play for New York Knicks
Our next installment in our NBA Time Traveler Series is the New York Knicks franchise. Willis Reed is our choice as the Knicks’ retired player that one would most want to travel back into time to see play in his prime.
There were plenty of other Knicks players to choose from and three also played with Reed on one or both of the Knicks’ two NBA championship teams. Dave DeBusschere and Earl “the Pearl” Monroe were worthy considerations. But, it is a closer call with Reed’s teammate, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, and Patrick Ewing.
Frazier was a very clutch player and especially when he out-clutched, Jerry “Mr. Clutch” West in game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals with 36 points, 19 assists and 7 rebounds. But, Reed was Finals MVP in both championships and just edges out Frazier.
Ewing was also a center and a worthy contender. While Ewing never won an NBA championship, he possibly could have in 1994 if Ewing had a guard more like Frazier and less like John Starks. Unfortunately, Ewing was outplayed by the opposing center Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwan in the 1994 finals. Ewing was never quite as good in the end as everyone expected.
Reed was a fierce, dominating physical player on both offense and defense. Reed was a clutch player throughout his career and often exceeded his averages during the playoffs compared to the regular season.
In 1970, Reed became the first player in NBA history to be named the NBA All-Star Game MVP, the NBA regular season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season. In addition, in that season, Reed was named to the All-NBA All-Defensive first team.
The game that one would want to travel back into time to see Reed play:
May 8, 1970, Game 7 of NBA Finals against Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden:
During Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden, Reed surprised the crowd by walking onto the court during warmups which brought the crowd to their feet. Reed had a severe torn muscle in his thigh that had kept him out of Game 6.
Reed scored the first two field goals for the Knicks which turned out to be his only points in the game. While Reed did not go on to have a great game by his usual standards, the Knicks went on to win their first NBA Championship. It is widely considered that the moment Reed walked on the court is the best moment in Knicks history.
