Knicks This Week: Willis Reed as Finals Hero

The New York Knicks captured their first NBA championship on May 8, 1970.

Jeremy Brener | May 10, 2022

While it's been nearly 50 years since the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, longtime fans haven't forgotten the dominance the team displayed back in the 1970s.

It all started with the team's first NBA championship, clinched on May 8, 1970.

The team came just short of the NBA Finals the previous season, losing in the Eastern Division Finals against the Boston Celtics in six games, but came back with a vengeance at the turn of the decade.

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The team won a franchise-record 60 games (a record that still stands today) and was led by Dave DeBusschere and Walt Frazier among others.

After dismantling the Baltimore Bullets in seven games, the team faced off against Kareem Abdul Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks and won the series in five games, setting the stage for an NBA Finals battle with Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The teams traded wins in each of the first six games, with Games 3 & 4 reaching overtime, but it all led to a decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

During Game 5, center Willis Reed tore his thigh muscle and could not play in Game 6. However, Reed shocked fans and the Lakers by returning for a season-ending Game 7.

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Reed's determination helped the Knicks jumped out to a massive double-digit lead in the first quarter and led by 27 at halftime, allowing them to cruise through the second half and win their first NBA championship.

The Knicks became a dynasty when the team won another championship three years later with the same core of players. But after Reed retired in 1974, the Knicks never experienced the same success.

Despite taking place 52 years ago, the 1970 Knicks are still celebrated in the Big Apple today and hold special memories in the hearts and minds of lifelong NBA fans.

Published May 10, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.