The arena rumbled. Knicks fans stood and cheered Willis Reed, and Walt Frazier tossed him a ball, as he emerged from the Madison Square Garden tunnel to warm up for Game 7 of the 1970 N.B.A. Weve had a lot of captains of the Knicks. He arranged a date for Frazier and showed his new point guard around. Gabe and Alex explore all of that, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley, and Dave Debusschere in the first episode of Ball Through The Ages. We get pulled over by the cops. Reed was the rare 6-foot-10 post player who could shoot from the perimeter in those days. See if you can spot Willis Reed: he's the one with the #19 jersey and standing on one leg. Knicks fans roared. A photograph doesnt come with a soundtrack, of course. I was thinking how are we going to do this without Willis?. Captain. Reed spent several years coaching before moving into general management. He led the Knicks in points, rebounds and shot attempts in his debut season, eventually winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Real-time Stats, Scores, Highlights and more are available to fans on web and mobile with NBA Game Time. The Department of Athletics welcomes the Tiger community to be a part of a what is sure to be another exciting basketball season. Reed would, famously, only hit two early buckets but would elevate the whole building with his courage. By the way, the NBA record is currently at 18 and counting, as Steph Curry has been hitting 3+ threes a game since Feb. 6. Thats how beloved he was, Frazier said. If you played me, Id carry you. In the first game, Willis Reed scored 37 points, and lifted the Knicks to a hard-fought victory. As the Madison Square Garden crowd erupted, Reed received a pass and joined in the pregame shooting. In the locker room, he received a shot of painkillers and hobbled to the court during warm-ups. Hed been back to the home-team locker room a couple of times to check in on a friend of his named Willis Reed, his face a visor of agony, as he tried to find the strength to walk onto the basketball floor at Madison Square Garden. Reed was the heart and soul of the New York Knicks and the unquestioned leader of the team. Tunnel Games are cool racing, reaction and distance games, all of which will take you through a narrow and usually colorful tunnel equipped with all sorts of obstacles. The Knicks slipped to a 5230 record in the 197071 season, still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division; and in mid-season, Reed tied Harry Gallatin's all-time club record by grabbing 33 rebounds against the Cincinnati Royals. We mentioned that twice but it doesnt feel like it was enough. 19, will hang as usual under the Gardens classic dropped ceiling for the teams season opener Sunday against the Boston Celtics. The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Knicks' stomping of Celtics left little doubt they're for real, Knicks get perfect chance to show where they stand as Celtics visit Garden, Jalen Brunson rare NY star who has been better than advertised, Keith Urgo's Fordham team recapturing spirit of 1971. It wasnt until a fourth coach arrived midway through Reeds fourth season that the Knicks took off. finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. When I knew I had to face Willis Reed during a series or maybe four or five times during the course of the year, I didnt need anything else to psych me up, because I knew if I wasnt ready, youll probably get your face walked in, the late Unseld said. If Willis Reed did not have the injuries that he had, it would not be, Whos the greatest Knick of all time?, Im wearing two championship rings now. In the playoffs, the Knicks beat the Bullets and upset the Boston Celtics, and again faced the Lakers in the NBA Finals. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Basketball Player Willis Reed's net worth is $1-5 Million at the age of 77 years old. This is the way this guy was, man. "The pain must have been terrible. He always gave 110 percent. Focus on what you guys are doing. Were on the court, Willis is in the trainers room with the door closed. Check out our willis reed poster selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Broke guys noses, everything.. But when they traded Walt Bellamy for Dave DeBusschere, he became a passer, and I became a star. This, Frazier said, was the personification of Willis Reed.. Wilt Chamberlain dominated for 45 on a Reed-free court. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. In what is arguably the most significant moment in New York sports history, Reed limped down the Garden tunnel 15 minutes before tip-off after receiving injections. 2009 Panini Legends of the Game #5 Willis Reed: $0.34: 2009 Panini Limited Decade Dominance #7 Willis Reed: $2.30: 2009 Panini Rookies & Stars Moments in Time #5 Willis Reed: $0.75: 2009 Panini Threads Legends #2 Willis Reed: $0.94: 2009 Panini Timeless Treasures #95 Willis Reed: $1.05: Group tickets are available for all home basketball games for groups of 10 or more at $7. George, the Big Dipper asked, is Willis gonna play?. Then Reed emerged from the tunnel prior to Game 7 and MSG erupted. I know I was facing the tunnel. Darnell Mayberry is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Bulls. And his will to win, thats what separated him.. And that is not how the story went. When it happened 1970 NBA Finals, Game 7: Lakers vs. Knicks. When the Garden was Eden, about the Knicks boys of yore. Its fun to watch, but its certainly not realistic. Then Reed emerged from the tunnel prior to Game 7 and MSG erupted. For more information, as well as all the latest NBA news and highlights, log onto the league's official website at http://www.NBA.com Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nbaSubscribe to NBA LEAGUE PASS http://www.nba.com/leaguepassDownload NBA Game Time http://www.nba.com/mobileLike us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nbaFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbaFollow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nbaFollow us on Tumblr http://nba.tumblr.comShop for NBA Gear: http://store.nba.com He was upright, but looked like a man just breaking in new legs for the first time. Reed will be honored at the halftime of the men's game with the unveiling of the Willis Reed Court and Willis Reed Tunnel. And here was Reed, running late. It was like something out of a movie, Frazier said. But hed already done enough for a one-legged man. 50 jersey retired at Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly. Because what happened was I played forward, and I had to pass the ball to the center all the time, who was Walt Bellamy, and never got many assists for it. Hes a very meticulous person. Fifty-five years later, Frazier still cant help but chuckle as he recounts the time Reed went ballistic. Eliminating the Willis Reed tunnel? 25 May 1942 in Hico, Louisiana), Hall of Fame center and power forward, coach and basketball executive, who scored two of the most memorable baskets in National Basketball Association (NBA) history.Reed was the only child of Willis Reed, Sr., an industrial laborer, and Inell Ross Reed, a domestic worker. When the Knicks acquired center Walt Bellamy, Reed moved to the power forward spot. Willis Reed (AP Photo) NBA legend Willis Reed provided one of the most memorable moments in NBA history, when he limped out of the tunnel prior to Game 7 in 1970 that sparked the New York Knicks . I was a captain of the Knicks. Well be able to do the rest. Thats good enough for me.. Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. The Department of Athletics welcomes . He is known for being a Basketball Player. ', In The Post 50 years ago, Lakers coach Joe Mullaney said, You could see Willis hobbling and we thought we could take advantage of it.. The loudest noise Ive ever heard, Kalinsky says. I would be like Ali. Running from his to pelvis to knee, the injury nearly prevented the center/forward from walking, much less running. Zombie Apocalypse Tunnel Surviv.. -- J.A. I told them it was bullshit the next day, though (laughs). Subscribe to our free newsletter: ballandorder.substack.com.

. Reed was less of a contributor than he was two seasons earlier. You forget. Creighton Bluejays men's basketball head coaches, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, "Willis Reed Leaves New York Area for the Big Easy", "1973 NBA Finals Game 5: Knicks vs Lakers, May 10, 1973", "Clippers to Play Willis Reed's Nets in New Jersey", "NBA unveils new trophies for division winners named after 6 NBA legends", "Modern Poetry Edition #13, (OLD SCHOOL DOUBLE ISSUE)", Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Willis_Reed&oldid=1141687978, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, African-American sports executives and administrators, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1963 Pan American Games, College men's basketball head coaches in the United States, Creighton Bluejays men's basketball coaches, Grambling State Tigers men's basketball players, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States, Pan American Games medalists in basketball, St. John's Red Storm men's basketball coaches, United States men's national basketball team players, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, In 1970, Reed was inducted into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame, Starting with the 202122 NBA season, the, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 08:14. Reed's knee is grotesquely swollen and inflamed after he injured it in game five. He coached the Knicks in 19771978, and left the team 14 games into the following season (4947 record). Once again, Reed started in the All-Star Game. Its the stuff of cinema, and you wont believe it unless you see it: As the scenes narrator Phil Jackson (once Reeds teammate, now a Knicks executive) tells it, Lakers players Rudy LaRusso and Henry Finkel both sustained broken jaws from Reeds outburst. Im, like, Theres nothing wrong with this guy, Frazier said. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. At center. : 12.9, Ast. [2] In October 2021, Reed was again honored as one of theleague's greatest players of all-time by being named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 1996, he was voted one of the "50 Greatest Players in NBA History".In October 2021, Reed was again honored as one of the . It became clear the Knicks, with their smaller style, could not only survive but thrive. He got a standing ovation. The retired jerseys of hallowed Knicks, including Reeds No. He did it on the court. Reed will be honored at the halftime of the men's game with the unveiling of the Willis Reed Court and Willis Reed Tunnel. -- Amin Elhassan, This clip is so freakin' badass. Willis Reed earns the MVP award, gimpy leg and all. And Holzman would say, Get out of here. That was the lede typed in by New York Post columnist Milton Gross 50 years ago Friday in salute of Reeds heroism on May 8, 1970. Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals is remembered for one moment: Willis Reed emerging from the tunnel to play despite tearing his quadricep four days earlier. Willis wasn't suspended for his. I was renowned for my defense prowess, but I knew I had Willis back there. Follow our #NBArank countdown of the best playoff Vines in NBA history. I would be wearing more if Willis Reed could have remained healthy. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. Of course thats what he wanted to do. Advertisement Willis Reed It was a classic moment in basketball history when a courageous Willis Reed hobbled through the tunnel at Madison Square Garden, reemerging on the floor for game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. Frazier flew that night., When I started the game I had no idea Id score like that, said Frazier, then in his third season. Dick McGuire was replaced as coach with Red Holzman, midway through the 196768 season. But a rising threat was forming. Due to a severe thigh injury, a torn muscle that had previously kept him out of game six, he was considered unlikely to play in game seven. Hes got style, but hes a down-to-earth person.. I could gamble. He grew a reputation for being a big tipper. After losing the first game, the Knicks captured four straight, claiming their second NBA championship with a 10293 victory in game five, as Reed scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and recorded 7 assists in the deciding victory. I remember playing games with him, and hed get so mad hed almost squeeze the air out of the ball if hes losing. Willis Reed Jr. (The Captain, Wolf) Position: Center and Power Forward Shoots: Left 6-10, 235lb (208cm, 106kg) . So this was no twist of fortune for George Kalinsky, every bit as skilled as the subjects he shot. Reed was ruled out for Game 6, and he was deemed "unlikely to play" if the series went to Game 7. You want me to be a Rope-A-Dope? Ali asked, incredulously. Willis Reed suffers a thigh injury during. He played all 10 of his seasons with the Knicks after they selected him in the second round of the 1964 draft out of Grambling State, a historically Black university in Grambling, La. The world had fully gone to hell that first week of May 1970. For the season, he averaged 20.9 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, but the Knicks were eliminated by the Baltimore Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. But this was no ploy. "The captain", as he was referred to during his playing days, was able to lift the Knicks and the entire city of New York to a championship simply by walking onto the court. Still, he earned Finals MVP. Reed played 27 minutes, but the final 25 were anti-climactic. He stood 6ft 9in (2.06m) but like common practice was listed with shoes at 6'10", when contemporaries such as Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stood 7ft 1in (2.16m) and 7ft 2in (2.18m), respectively, during their playing careers. Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals is remembered for one moment: Willis Reed emerging from the tunnel to play despite tearing his quadricep four days earlier. Chills were going up and down my spine when he came out. Reed didnt play in Game 6, a Lakers victory in which Chamberlain went off for 45 points and 27 rebounds, both series highs. [citation needed]. The team continued to struggle for a few years while adding good players through trades and the draft. He looks extremely tall with his height of 6 feet 8 inches and his weight is 109 kg. The club introduced Reed. Reed's most indelible moment, of course, was his heroic performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. They couldnt guard him on the perimeter. Frazier remembers collecting his luggage and badly needing a trip to the restroom with no one to trust to watch his belongings. In Game 5 of the 1976 Finals, Garfield Heard's wild shot forced the first triple overtime in Finals history. A two-time champion, seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP and one-time league MVP, Reed lands at No. Three years earlier, in town to interview for a job at the Miami Herald, Kalinsky found himself outside the famed Fifth Street Gym and saw Howard Cosell, whom he knew from back home. Anxiety in New York ran deeper. Willis Reed, Clyde Frazier take you inside Knicks' 1970 ti NHL, players union failing in this important area, MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval have awkward moment amid cheating scandal, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. The Knicks first trip to the Finals since 1953 would end sourly. Reed quickly made a name as a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor. Grey Flannel Auctions has opened bidding for the warmup jacket that Knicks legend Willis Reed wore during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, with the proceedings opening at $10,000. Willis Reed, whose road to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame included an NAIA national championship at Grambling State, will have his No. I was like cmon, man, I had that kind of game. He hobbles up and down two times more. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Per Game. 44 on The Athletic 's NBA 75 list. After all these years, 50 years, hes still The Captain., Career stats: G: 650, Pts. He took no prisoners. Just once. He was at the peak of his powers, putting together a magical season that would see him outplay, in successive postgame series, Unseld, Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. It was May 8, 1970. He gave an early indication of this in the 196667 season when he improved his regular season averages to 20.9 points per game, and scoring 27.5 points per game in the postseason. We had no idea if hed play or not. Try a week on us. The New York Knicks and the New York Rangers are on 6 game winning streaks at the same time. He was the backbone of the team, Frazier said. The entire playing career for Willis Reed is displayed below. Around his neck was a camera that in Kalinskys hands, for more than a half-century, has been this photographers equivalent of an artists palette and canvas. They were Reeds only baskets. He has great handwriting, Frazier said. From NBA.com Staff September 14, 2021 6:24 AM In Game 7 of the 1970 Finals,. In the 1968-69 season, the Knicks traded Bellamy to Detroit for Dave Debuschere. In 1971-72, Frazier was better (Reed almost missed the entire season). He led the Tigers to one NAIA title and three Southwestern Athletic Conference championships. He earned respect from them all. Reed debuted as head coach of the New Jersey Nets on March 1, 1988, one week after the Nets' star forward (and Reed's cousin) Orlando Woolridge was suspended by the league and was to undergo drug rehabilitation. Kalinsky had captured that moment, too, a forever image of Reeds face, in closeup, writhing in agony on the Garden floor. But the Knicks trademark playmaking guile got them past the Lakers on May 4. 42 years ago today, Willis Reed emerged from the tunnel in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Get ready to play the game., So he closed the door to the training room. He spent 12 years at The Oklahoman, where he handled the Thunder beat before moving into an editors role. Willis Reed suffers a thigh injury during Game 5 of the 1970 NBA Finals. I mean, how many times do you get a chance to be the MVP of the playoffs? Wilt would just stand by Willis so I was open. Race through tunnel after tunnel, dodge obstacles, jump over gaps, avoid falling platforms and just try to make it as far as possible. Yet on the Knicks first possession, following an airball by Baylor that triggered a fast break, Reed hauled in a pass from Frazier and walked into a free-throw line pull-up. Clutching a fifth of Paul Masson brut against his right hip, he sat. Willis Reed's age is 80. Its Holzman who Reed has credited with teaching him almost all he learned about pro basketball. The way that this man played the game, the respect that he had, the leadership, weve never had another leader like Willis Reed. He hits it. May 8, 1970: It's Game 7 of the NBA Finals and the Knicks were filled with pressure, no one more so than Willis Reed. Beginning in the 1964/65 season into the early 1970s, Willis Reed was one of the top PFs and centers in the NBA. SourcesFull game on YouTubeExcerpt from The Show by Roland Lazenby where Jerry West complains about Wilts free throws Sports Illustrated story on game 7The Atlantic on Nixons wild night Get on the email list at ballthroughtheages.substack.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. He sat out Game 6, and his status for the decisive Game 7 seemed doubtful. Michael Rapaport got his hands on footage of Reed going after the Lakers during the Oct. 18, 1966, contest which the Knicks won, 122-119 and unveiled it for national audiences during the . The new Garden on 33rd and 8th was only in its third season, but it has never seen a night like that since when Reeds courage and Walt Fraziers magical skill willed the selfless Knicks past the Lakers, 113-99, for their first NBA championship. Condon didnt announce the fourth starter Frazier for 28 seconds. The turnaround took time. Looking at 5 key stats heading into Saturday's clash between top East teams Philadelphia and Milwaukee. Like Bob Marley said, You cant forget your past. This is my past before I was Clyde. I owe a lot to that man.. Its why Frazier can go on and on about Reed. Born: June 25, 1942 in Hico, Louisiana us Relatives: Cousin Orlando Woolridge. The center court tunnel that Reed limped out of prior to Game 7 of the NBA Finals was removed and replaced with seats. To have a chance to play with him really was the reason I became a star, Reed said while presenting the late DeBusschere into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After Willis hit New York's first two baskets, the Knicks had all the inspiration they needed!About the NBA: The NBA is the premier professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. The Reed-less Knicks were routed in Game 6 in Los Angeles by 22 points. Finally, Walt Frazier posts the stat line of the night: 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds as New York cruises to a 69-42 lead and never looks back. -- Amin Elhassan. There was one time Willis Reed disappointed Clyde Frazier. There was Willis, approaching the Knicks layup line, every fan on their feet. But Kalinsky had already snapped the photo of the year. From the start, he hobbled up and down the court. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. For the 2014-15 season, each of the league's 30 teams will play 82 regular-season games, followed by a postseason for those that qualify. willis reed 4608 GIFs. He was the head coach at Creighton University from 1981 to 1985 and volunteer assistant coach for St. John's University. It includes everyone from Howard Cosell to Richard Nixon. Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers. Willis Reed Tunnel Is Gone; Jersey and Memory Stay, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/24/sports/basketball/the-willis-reed-tunnel-is-gone.html. The resurgent Knicks were playing for their first championship, staring down a tightly contested NBA Finals series against Chamberlain and the Lakers after disposing of Unselds Bullets and Abdul-Jabbars Bucks. . Reed was only half-joking that night. A two-time champion, seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA Finals MVP and one-time league MVP, Reed lands at No. After Willis hit New. viewing, beginning with the Knicks. All columns may be sorted by clicking the column name. They crafted the leagues top defense, with Reed capturing league MVP, All-Defensive First Team and, for good measure, All-Star Game MVP. Anything. "Reed's courage is incredible. I said to myself, Man, weve got these guys. That gave me so much confidence. Only when I got to the game did I know if he would play. Reed briefly took a backseat in his second season after the Knicks acquired Bellamy from the Baltimore Bullets and the leg-kicking, sweet-shooting lefty Dick Barnett from the Lakers. He wouldnt crack. It has since been labeled The Willis Reed Game. The Knicks burly center took 400 milligrams of carbocaine and 8 ccs of cortisone via Dr. James Parkes needle to mask the pain of a torn right thigh muscle. : 1.8, FG%: 47.6, FT%: 74.7, Win Shares: 74.9, PER: 18.6, The AthleticNBA 75 Panel points: 455 | Hollinger GOAT Points*: 113.5, Achievements: Five-time All NBA, Seven-time All-Star, NBA champ (70, 73), Rookie of the Year (65), NBA MVP (70), Finals MVP (70, 73), Hall of Fame (82), NBA at 50 (96), NBA 75th Anniversary team (21), (Illustration: Wes McCabe / The Athletic; Photo: Dick Raphael / NBAE via Getty Images). In 1996, Reed moved to the position of senior vice president of basketball operations, with the continued goal of building the Nets into a championship contender. He pestered Chamberlain into multiple missed shots while he was in the game, then flipped the keys to Frazier, whose 36 points and 19 assists wound up as one of the greatest and most overshadowed Finals stat lines ever. You didnt want to get him angry., It was part of what endeared Reed as The Captain., If youre in a foxhole, like they say, you want this guy with you, Frazier said. Clicking on a tab heading will display the specified set of statistics. This was 1970. It was Frazier who lit up the Lakers for 36 points and 19 assists, both game-highs. He also began his string of All-Star appearances and won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award while also being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Historic sales data are completed sales with a buyer and a seller agreeing on a price. Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. He never was known as a dirty player, but if things escalated, you better believe Reed knew what to do. Buildings, theyre always going to get changed. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA as we count down the Top 60 Playoff Vines. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Here's No. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Top Finals moments: Julius Erving's amazing layup, Top Finals moments: Garfield Heard's miraculous shot, Top Finals moments: Barry, Warriors sweep Bullets, Top Finals moments: Jerry West's shot in 1970, 5 stats to know for 76ers-Bucks matchup on ABC, Brooks suspended after receiving 16th technical foul, Grizzlies' Clarke (torn achilles) out indefinitely, Ja issues apology, will miss 'at least' 2 games, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points. But thats the kind of team we had, open man.. Reeds appearance in the walkway is considered the seminal moment in Knicks history, and an act that has come to define playing with pain in sports. [1] Reed also became a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.[5]. In 1968-69, Reed was better. Welcome to theNBA 75,The Athletics countdown ofthe 75 best players in NBA history, in honor of the leagues diamond anniversary. If you see my handwriting, my handwriting is like his., Penmanship, Frazier believes, reveals much about a person: their intelligence, their mood, even their ego. I was surprised that he passed (to) me that first shot. Among the road . The NBAs come a long way since then; now, youd likely go a season without salary for that kind of behavior.Reeds most indelible moment, of course, was his heroic performance in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Willis Reed really did fight the entire Los Angeles Lakers bench in 1966. As long as they keep all the retired numbers up there thats what people notice when they walk in, he said. He heard the Garden nearly implode with a roar thats never really left his ears, or his memory. But all of the guys came in and said, Were going to win this one tonight, the championship is going to be ours., Its as crystal clear 50 years later. Willis Reed had heard a few weeks ago that the Madison Square Garden tunnel he made famous in 1970 by merely walking through it was gone.