“One of the great moments in NBA history”: When Willis Reed with broken leg helped Knicks win Game 7 of 1970 NBA Finals
Willis Reed and the famous 1970 NBA Finals "broken leg" game is without question one of those feats that sounds like something out of a movie. While many NBA fans may be familiar with Michael Jordan's famous "flu game," what many may not remember is Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.
The 6-foot-10 star took the court with a broken leg that was causing him pain once he got going. However, that didn't hold him back. In the wake of Reed's death on Tuesday, let's take a look back at one of the greatest feats in NBA history.
"One of the greatest moments in NBA history," Knicks Videos tweeted.
Game 7. 1970 NBA Finals. Willis Reed’s status to play was unclear. And then…
“Six-feet-ten from Grambling, the captain of the Knicks, the Most Valuable Player of the NBA.”
One of the great moments in NBA history.
RIP to The Captain. 🙏
https://t.co/5aXvESZZQO
Willis Reed’s remarkable Game 7 performance
Despite being severely compromised, Reed blew everyone away by suiting up, emerging from the tunnel in triumphant fashion after a cortisone shot. As he famously stated after the game, he didn’t want to look at himself in the mirror 20 years later and wondered whether or not he should have played.
During the half that he played, Reed recorded four points, and more importantly, forced several missed shots from the one and only Wilt Chamberlain. After sitting out game six due to the injury, Reed scored the first two field goals for the Knicks in Game 7. While Reed, who was the MVP that season, was unable to provide a major impact in regard to scoring, Walt Frazier provided a whopping 36 points & 19 assists.
Remarkably, Reed was able to heal up over the offseason, and play in 73 games the following year. The NBA Finals win marked the first of two championships for Reed, who also helped the Knicks raise a banner during the 1972-73 season as well. Although he wasn’t the same after missing much of the 1971-72 season due to tendonitis in his knee, Reed averaged 12.8ppg through the team’s playoff run over 28.6mpg.
After his second championship win, Reed appeared in 19 games for the Knicks the following season before calling it a career. Below you can see some of his career highlights as the NBA community mourns the Hall of Famer after his recent passing at 80 years old.