Foster Moreau, a free-agent tight end on Wednesday announced that he has Hodgkin lymphoma and will be stepping away from football as a result.
He tweeted that he discovered he had cancer after a physical with the New Orleans Saints.
“Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this free agency period has been life-changing for me,” Moreau wrote. “During a routine physical conducted by the Saints’ medical team down in New Orleans, I’ve come to learn that I have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and will be stepping away from football … at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer. I’m grateful for the support and thankful for people who have stood firm with me. There hasn’t been a single step I’ve taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me, and I will continue to seek their guidance.
“That being said, I’ll go kick this thing’s ass and get back to doing what I love! AMDG!”
Also known as Hodgkin’s disease, Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that attacks the lymphatic system – part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system – as defined by the Mayo Clinic. White blood cells, called lymphocytes, grow out of control to cause swollen lymph nodes and growth throughout the body.
The American Cancer Society says the five-year “relative survival rate for all patients diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma is now about 89%.” But, cancer’s stage and the person’s age impact those rates.
Foster Moreau was a fourth-round selection of the Las Vegas Raiders picked in the 2019 NFL Draft. He played for four seasons with the Raiders organization, garnering 91 receptions for 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns in that time. Accompanied by a career-high of 33 catches and 420 yards in 2022, Moreau joined the free-agent market this offseason.
Shohei Ohtani has not been called to close out a game for the last seven years. His manager Hideki Kuriyama felt the same way as he called the shots in the World Baseball Classic. Back then, the situation at hand was crucial too – Japan needed to win to advance to the 2016 Japan Series – with Ohtani brought in to face the remaining three Softbank Hawks batters after DH-ing all game.
After seven years, Ohtani was called forth again on Tuesday, this time to take on the title of world’s best. As always, he stepped up to the challenge to close out the game for his motherland, leading Japan to a 3-2 victory, earning the World Baseball Classic crown.
The pitcher closed the game in a remarkable manner, striking out his Angels teammate and powerhouse Mike Trout swinging on a 3-2 pitch.
Shohei delivered the way a global two-way star would. He helped Samurai Japan accept its latest star, as Lars Nootbaar became the first non-Japanese-born player to join the team.
“All you got to do is be born being able to throw at 100 mph and hit the ball 500 feet,” Nootbaar joked after the game. “There’s really not that much going into it. But, no, he’s exceeded all of my expectations. He’s able to do stuff that I can’t even dream of doing.”
He controlled the plate, hitting .435 and drawing a truly absurd 10 walks. He hit a home run and run infield singles, extra-base hits, and stole bases too.
Ohtani recreated the same magic on the mound, too. Starting two games, he struck out 11-batters and when the Baseball clash anticipated by every fan Ohtani VS Trout happened, he was not fazed.
The title of the World’s MVP has never been in more deserving hands.
“What he’s doing in the game is what probably 90 per cent of the guys in that clubhouse did in Little League or in youth tournaments, and he’s able to pull it off on the biggest stages,” Mark DeRosa USA manager said. “He is a unicorn to the sport. I think other guys will try it, but I don’t think they’re going to do it to his level.”
When Kyle Schwarber faced Yu Darvish in the top of the eight to cut Japan’s lead to one, the game was set. Trout would bat in the ninth. Ohtani who ran to the bullpen and then back to the dugout to bat – legging out on an infield single, natch before going back to the bullpen again, had to pitch.
“When I was in Japan, of course, I didn’t run to the bullpen, but I do have the experience doing that,” Ohtani said, downplaying his remarkable achievement. “So, to go from the dugout and the bullpen and back and forth is not difficult for me.”
Jeff McNeil battled before drawing a walk, receiving cheers from USA fans.
Mookie Betts, MVP Award-winner, grounded into a double play. And the crowd got wilder.
Then, big dog Trout stepped onto the plate. He breathed deeply before stepping in, maybe stopping to slow his heart rate. It did not matter, the game had ended.
“What blows me away on this stage is the fact that no moment’s too big for him,” DeRosa said. “He did not seem rattled by walking Jeff McNeil on a close pitch, not rattled that three MVPs were coming up to bat.”
Before the big moment, Ohtani gave a speech to motivate his teammates, telling them that they could defeat the USA and that there was nothing to be afraid of from the lineup and pitching staff featuring star Major League ballplayers.
“Just looking at the lineup of the great players made us feel like — how do I say that? – obviously, we had respect, but at the same time, it looked like we might get beaten,” Ohtani said about how the clubhouse felt. “So, [I told them to] just forget about those kinds of feelings. We’re even. We have to just beat ’em.”
“… In my baseball life, [winning the World Baseball Classic was] one of the things that I wanted to achieve,” Ohtani said. “Today I was able to achieve one of the goals. Of course, I happened to to get the MVP, but this really proves that Japanese baseball can beat any team in the world.”
The MVP Award was not the only honour announced after the intriguing close to the tournament. People who made the All-World Baseball Classic Team were announced too.
Trea Turner (USA) and Randy Arozarena (Mexico) were voted unanimously to the All-World Baseball Classic team. Turner tied a record with five home runs in one Classic, slashing .391/.440/1.043 overall with 11 RBIs. Arozarena matched a WBC record for doubles, with six, and hit .450/.607/.900 in six games.
Masataka Yoshida custodian of Japan’s powerful offense, set a new single-tournament record with 13 RBIs, slashing .409/.531/.727 total with a double and two home runs. Puerto Rico’s Javier Báez made the All-Tournament Team for the second time in his career, including in 2017, after hitting .368 (7-for-19) with three doubles, a home run, and six RBIs.
This is the complete 2023 All-World Baseball Classic team:
C: Salvador Perez (Venezuela)
1B: Yu Chang (Chinese Taipei)
2B: Javier Báez (Puerto Rico)
3B: Yoán Moncada (Cuba)
SS: Trea Turner (USA)
OF: Randy Arozarena (Mexico), Masataka Yoshida (Japan), and Mike Trout (USA)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (Japan)
P: Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Patrick Sandoval (Mexico), Miguel Romero (Cuba)
The star pitcher of Japan, Shohei Ohtani delivered a dream 3-2 victory for his country over the United States on Tuesday as they won the World Baseball Classic for the third time.
Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto’s home run set Japan in the lead before the Los Angeles Angels’ Ohtani closed out the win from the mound in the ninth inning.
Ohtani stood in the LoanDepot Park and sent his Angels teammate and US captain Mike Trout packing to secure Japan’s third WBC victory after winning in 2006 and 2009.
Shohei proved once and for all that he is the better man, which does not come as a surprise as he was the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player, being likened to Babe Ruth since joining Major League Baseball, he said Tuesday’s win was the highlight of his career.
“It’s definitely number one,” Ohtani spoke to FOX television through a translator. “It’s got to be up there. It was a storybook ending.”
“More than anything, I appreciate this tournament, this whole situation, this whole atmosphere,” Ohtani, who was named tournament MVP said.
Before the game began, Ohtani motivated team Japan with an inspiring pre-game speech where he charged his teammates to “stop admiring” Team USA’s lineup even if they were tagged to be the strongest US baseball team to ever gather.
“Obviously, the US lineup, one through nine, they’re all household names, superstars,” Ohtani said after the game.
“All the Japanese guys know them. So I didn’t want us to be passive. Show respect – but stay aggressive, stay confident.
The USA team which was fortified by star players, defending champions who won the last WBC tournament in 2017, could not control Japan’s pitchers.
Trea Turner of the Philadelphia Phillies started the US with a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning with a left-field solo shot.
Stranded runners
Japan wasted no time in reciprocating Team USA’s energy; Murakami the hero of Japan’s walk-off win over Mexico during Monday’s semi-final – delivered a home run to right-centre field in the bottom of the second off US starter Merrill Kelly.
That was just the beginning of Kelly’s problems, with the Arizona right-hander conceding singles to Okamoto and Sosuke Genda before he walked Yuhei Nakamura to load the bases.
This spurred Mark DeRosa to pull Kelly, while Aaron Loup was invited to help his team get out of the situation.
Loup left the situation slightly unscathed, with Japan picking up one more run for their 2-1 lead after Lars Nootbaar grounded out to score Okamoto.
Japan extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth when Okamoto sent a fly ball to left field off US reliever Kyle Freeland to change the 2-1 lead to 3-1.
Team USA’s players said they would pull themselves back into contention in the fifth but marooned Mookie Betts and Nolan Arenado on base.
The same thing happened in the top of the seventh when Jeff McNeil took a leadoff walk before Betts singled to leave US runners on first and second with no outs.
Again, the US could not cash in, Trout lined out to right fielder Kensuke Kondoh before a double-play ended the inning.
Hideki Kuriyama the Japan manager nominated Yu Darvish to lock it down in the eighth.
After Darvish sacked Arenado, he was propelled by a monster home run from Kyle Schwarber, who flung a fly ball into the upper tiers to make it a one-run game.
Devin Williams was scoreless for the whole eighth inning, setting up a dream final inning, with Ohtani pitching to close out the game.
Ohtani began by walking towards McNeil nervously, but Betts grounded into a double play that left Japan one out from victory.
This made Ohtani depose Trout to secure the victory, and USA’s captain ran out of swings to end the game.
Brooklyn Nets VS Cleveland Cavaliers is one of the four games happening this Thursday in the NBA. Two Eastern Conference clubs that made the top 10 in overall standings, and want to boost their records, will clash in front of fans.
The Nets and Cavaliers met on Tuesday at the same venue they’ll be playing today. Before that game, Brooklyn hosted a game that ended 125-117 on the road. Can the Nets utilize their home court as leverage to increase their lead in the series?
The Brooklyn Nets intend to capitalize on this 2-game series against the Cavaliers to get back to winning their games. Before they hosted on Tuesday, they’d lost three games consecutively, and two of them were on their home court.
That loss isn’t something that happens frequently with the Nets, because generally speaking, they’ve not had a bad game on their courts. Brooklyn won 19 of the 33 games it played so far.
No matter, fans must note that the Nets are not the same club they were a few months ago, particularly because they lost Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, amidst other losses they suffered this campaign.
Betting On The Cleveland Cavaliers
Regular Season Record: 45-28
1XBet Spread: -3.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.705
1XBet Over/Under: Under 218.5
BetMGM Spread: -3.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 1.57
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 218.5
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference’s fourth-best team, a well-deserved ranking made possible by their exceptional defense, which has the best record in the whole NBA too, scoring an average of 106.1 points allowed per night.
Prior to today’s match, Cleveland strung together good results in the competition, they won 3 of the last 4 games they held. But, they’ll need to put their best team forward for this game, mainly because it is a road game. The Cavaliers have a bad record in away matches, with a 16-20 score.
Besides that, they’ve done quite well for themselves, when playing on the road, winning 3 of their most recent 4 matches.
MatchPlug Prediction
Due to the bad results gotten in their recent games, the Nets may not triumph in today’s match. Despite, this there is a low chance of them hosting a team that’s an actual threat on their home court, so they may get back on the winning wagon today.
This game will not have a large number of points for the final score. The team with the best defense in the NBA will be facing a team that gets decent scores in their games, with a 112.8 average.
Experts expect the Nets VS Cavaliers to be a close game, where Cleveland will wear out Brooklyn’s offense. Although they try in defending, they still have one of the worst offenses in the league, with an average of 112.2.
MLB fans can watch Houston Astros VS Washington Nationals live at Fitteam Ballpark, Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, USA.
Ahead of the game, we have given our analysis of both teams, using their most recent performance and head-to-head stats as well. We also left odds that show the position of each side in the sportsbooks and who is being favoured.
A look at the head-to-head stats for Houston and Washington indicates that – these teams met 5 times and the Nationals won 3 times, while the Astros won twice. The last match which took place last week Friday ended in an 11:7 victory for Washington.
The Houston Astros have had more losses than wins this preseason, and the Nationals aren’t the only team they’ve lost to. They’ve secured two wins and three losses out of the five games they played.
Last week they lost thrice in a straight row to the Washington Nationals, New York Mets, and Miami Marlins. They lost 7:11 to the Nationals, 2:0 to the Mets, and 4:5 to the Marlins. However, Houston won Miami on Tuesday 2:1 and New York on Wednesday 2:5.
Since the Astros are returning the ill will to past opponents, this matchup will reveal if the Nationals will be the next team to take back the defeat they meted out to Houston.
Betting On The Washington Nationals
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.383
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
Unlike their opponents, the Washington Nationals have had more wins than losses in the preseason. Three wins, one loss, and one draw makeup their match results out of the five games they played.
This past Saturday, they were defeated by the Miami Marlins 0:7, then won the Detroit Tigers 2:1, before defeating the New York Mets 3:2 on Monday. Houston had a 4:4 draw with the St. Louis Cardinals and a current 5:2 victory against the New York Yankees.
Today’s game will decide if they will be on the receiving end of Houston’s recent revenge spree or if they’ll be teaching the Astros the same lesson twice in such a short period.
MatchPlug Prediction
Washington is in the better position to win the Astros, and it’s mostly because they’ve recorded the most wins the last times these teams clashed, plus the Nationals won Houston not so long ago.
However, Houston seemed to have stepped up and even took some time to return the defeats they suffered at the hands of the Marlins and Mets. The Astros may do the same to the Nationals, especially since they already defeated them twice – once last season and again this preseason.
For MLB Expert Picks you can trust regarding Astros VS Nationals, you can refer to the sportsbooks odds we listed in this preview.
Atlanta Braves VS New York Mets will happen live today at CoolToday Park, North Port, Florida.
We have done an examination of both teams who are warming up for the regular season with this MLB preseason matchup.
A look at the head-to-head stats for these two teams shows that – the Braves won most of the matches, including the most recent one which took place on 2nd March 2023, it ended in a 6:2 score.
Last fall when Atlanta and New York met, the Braves won the three times they played securing 5:2, 4:2, and 5:3 scores respectively.
While this may be a practice run for the actual MLB regular season, this reality hasn’t stopped the Atlanta Braves from leading their opponent at 594 points.
And Atlanta has been winning their preseason matches so far. On Wednesday, they defeated the Detroit Tigers 5:4, the Tampa Bay Rays 6:5, Minnesota Twins 5:0, Philadelphia Phillies 5:1, and Boston Red Sox 8:0.
It remains to be seen if they’ll add the Mets to their list of conquest for March to continue their unbroken winning streak.
Betting On The New York Mets
1XBet Spread: +1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 2.09
1XBet Over/Under: Under 8.5
This preseason, the New York Mets have won only two matches out of the five games they’ve played. They beat the Houston Astros last week Saturday by a 2:0 score and the Miami Marlins in a 6:1 win last week Friday.
New York lost yesterday to Houston Astros 5:2 in a three-step trail of defeat featuring Washington Nationals 3:2, and St. Louis Cardinals 8:7 on the other end.
The Mets have a chance today to either end their losing streak or be another team that will fall to the Braves, who have been on a victory roll.
MatchPlug Prediction
Atlanta is clearly the team that is in the best position to win this matchup, with their recent victory and the fact that they also dominated the Mets last season in three good times.
But, since this is the MLB, anything can happen in today’s game. The New York Mets have tasted victory twice and may have gotten weary of their current string of defeats.
The Mets may step up and send a strong message to other teams using the Braves as an example.
For accurate MLB Expert Picks for Braves VS Mets, you can refer to the sportsbooks odds we listed earlier in this preview.
Cincinnati Reds VS San Diego Padres joins the extensive list of MLB preseason matches.
They’ll play at the Goodyear Ballpark stadium in Goodyear. Fans should have fun selecting the winners for this matchup and if the chosen winner is the right one.
The Cincinnati Reds took charge of their games this season, losing only once to the Milwaukee Brewers 3:4 in the last five-game stretch.
Furthermore, they overpowered the Angels with a score of 10:0. The fourth frame was decisive, where the Reds scored up to eight points. Cincinnati hit a home run, three doubles, and made 14 hits. It was a great game by the pitchers – the ERA indicators of Lodolo, Sanmartin, and Young did not exceed 2.0
Betting On The San Diego Padres
1XBet Spread: -1.5
1XBet Moneyline: 1.77
1XBet Over/Under: Under 9.5
The San Diego Padres had a productive game in the face of extreme opposition. They won the Colorado Rockies by 14:2 and led 7-0 by the third inning.
They made 19 hits and scored 5 doubles. Additionally, the Padres had another good match where they won over the Brewers 11:6. So, so they worked well in this area.
MatchPlug Prediction
The guests which are the San Diego Padres are selected by experts to be the favourites for this game.
Both San Diego and the Reds played well in their last match. The offence and defence for both teams were great. But since Cincinnati is in better form, this game might go in their favour.
Edmonton Oilers VS Arizona Coyotes is a match between two teams with different goals going into the end of the season.
Arizona has a 27-33-11 record; the second worst in the Central Division. Edmonton has a 40-23-8 record and four wins in a row and rose to 3rd place in the Pacific Division.
The teams intend to improve in the Western Conference and end the season on a strong note. Tonight’s game should be a good one as a result.
MatchPlug has the NHL Predictions Today, picks, and odds for the Oilers and Coyotes game. Read our preview to find out what’s in store for the teams.
Betting Preview for Edmonton Oilers VS Arizona Coyotes NHL Regular Season
Venue: Rodgers Place, Edmonton.
Date: Wednesday, 22nd, March 2023
Time: 19:30 GMT
Teams to play: Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes
The Edmonton Oilers’ offense has been fantastic this season paving the way, with 3.93 goals per game with 21 goals in the past 4 games.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl scored 102 goals and 195 assists as two of the league’s best scorers, but the other members of the line did well too. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, and Evander Kane combined for 74 goals and 110 assists while Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard have 12 goals and 55 assists from the point to put them over the top.
Just like the Coyotes, the Oilers’ defense also faced challenges, allowing 3.31 goals per game. Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci have combined for 6.3 defensive point shares, but the other defenders can’t keep up, giving opponents room for open shots on the net at will.
As with their tonight’s opponents, their goalie Stuart Skinner has been a beacon of hope for the team too. Skinner has a .911 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average on 1318 shots with 9.0 goals saved above average.
Betting On The Arizona Coyotes
Season Record – 27-33-11
1XBet Spread: +2.5
1XBet Total: Under 6.5
1XBet Moneyline: 6.15
BetMGM Spread: +2.5
BetMGM Total: Over 7
BetMGM Moneyline: 4.60
The Arizona Coyotes are not making any lasting impressions this season and it’s because of their offense which scored just 2.80 goals per game.
Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, and Matias Maccelli scored 60 goals and 101 assists to lead the top two lines, but the other members of this line struggled. There are only 6 active players with 10 goals or higher and they can be limited by opponents because of this.
Coyote’s defense let the team down too, allowing 3.44 goals per game. J.J. Moser and Patrik Nemeth combined for 4.4 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit struggled, giving way for opponents to find open shots on the net at will.
The only unit that brought Arizona joy is Connor Ingram the goaltender, who has a .909 save percentage and a 3.37 goals-against average on 897 shots with 3.8 goals saved above average.
MatchPlug Prediction
Edmonton is on a roll, winning four consecutive games, and intends to step up on their home ice and take control. They average 3.93 goals per game and should find the back of the Coyotes net at will with McDavid, Draisaitl, and the forward unit taking the offensive zone to create open shots with quick puck movement while Nurse will fire shots from the blue line.
Edmonton will limit Arizona’s offense which averages just 2.80 goals per game, with Nurse and Ceci and the other defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shooting lanes. This should allow Skinner make plenty of big saves. They’ll win the game and cover the spread in a dominating game to win their fifth successive row.
Milwaukee Bucks VS San Antonio Spurs may be one of the NBA’s most unbalanced games, but it is still a valid game in the best basketball league in the world, so fans can be expected to be entertained from start to finish.
As always, MatchPlug brings you the best NBA Prediction Tonight for the Bucks and Spurs, plus an analysis of each team, predictions, and NBA Expert Picks for the entire match.
Keep reading to see who experts say will come out on top for this game.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Milwaukee Bucks VS San Antonio Spurs NBA Regular Season Game
Venue: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: Thursday, March 22nd, 2023
Time: 17:00 GMT
Teams to play: Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs
The Milwaukee Bucks reaffirmed their stance as being one of the best teams in the NBA. Even with their star players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton out due to physical challenges, they enter tonight’s game as the Eastern Conference leaders. Holding a narrow lead over the Boston Celtics.
Milwaukee defeated the Toronto Raptors 111-118 in their last game, thanks to an incredible performance in the last quarter, where they won 16-29. In that match, Anetokounmpo and Middleton were the best players with 22 and 20 points scored respectively. Giannis registered a triple-double by contributing 10 assists and 13 rebounds.
Betting On The San Antonio Spurs
Regular Season Record: 18-52
1XBet Spread: +17.5
1XBet Moneyline: 10.05
1XBet Over/Under: Under 238.5
BetMGM Spread: +17.5
BetMGM Moneyline: 11.00
BetMGM Over/Under: Over 237.5
The San Antonio Spurs are still a disaster, wearing the third-worst record in the NBA like a medal while ranking second to last in the Western Conference.
But, they have brought some relief to their followers, like a surprising home 118-126 win over the Atlanta Hawks on March 19, a record that gave them some hope about ending on the right note this season.
Doing this will be the only good way for the Spurs to thrive in a campaign where they have one of the worst offenses in the NBA, at 112.8 points scored per game, and in which they have the worst defensive record in the NBA, allowing opposing teams shoot 50.4% from the field and conceding an average of 122.1 points against per game.
MatchPlug Prediction
In spite of San Antonio’s efforts to be a more competitive team, they remain flawed, ridden with an unreliable offense and a defense that is lax.
It doesn’t help their case that they would be facing Milwaukee which is one of the best teams in the league. The Bucks have a whopping 29-7 record at home and an average of 119.6 points scored per match.
Due to this record, experts expect the Bucks to dominate the game from the beginning, putting the Spurs’ defense up for destruction, and Milwaukee winning an easy victory in tonight’s game.
Willis Reed, the player who emerged from the locker room some minutes before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to give the New York Knicks their first championship and deliver one of the most inspiring examples of playing through pain, died on Tuesday at the age of 80.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association announced Reed’s death, which was later confirmed by his family. The cause of death was not released, but Reed had been sick recently and could not travel to New York for the Knicks’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of their 1973 NBA championship team during their game against New Orleans on February 25th.
New York posted a photograph of Reed walking onto the court as his teammates warmed up for the 1970 finale, one of the most memorable moments the NBA and Madison Square Garden have ever witnessed.
“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,” the New York Knicks wrote. “His is a legacy that will live forever.”
Dubbed “The Captain’’, Reed played the role of a centre and emotional leader during the Knicks’ two NBA championship teams, he had a soft shooting touch from the outside and a toughness to tussle with the era’s superstar big men on the inside.
He was remembered at his death, maybe for the way he captained the Knicks more than how he played for them.
“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,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He played the game with remarkable passion and determination, and his inspiring comeback in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals remains one of the most iconic moments in all of the sports.”
Willis Reed’s achievements – seven All-Star selections, and two NBA Finals MVP awards amongst others, would have gotten him a Hall of Fame induction. In the 1969-70 season, Reed became the first player to gather the MVP awards for the regular season, All-Star Game and NBA Finals.
However, this legend secured his place in history by merely walking onto the floor on the final night of the season.
Reed injured a thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series between the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, stumbling out on the court in pain. He sat out Game 6 as Wilt Chamberlain had 45 points and 27 rebounds in a Lakers’ spree that caused a deciding game at Madison Square Garden.
His Knicks teammates didn’t know his status as he was still getting treatment shortly before Game 7. The Lakers and Knicks were warming up when Reed showed up, fans rose and roared when they saw him coming out of the tunnel leading to the locker room.
“And here comes Willis and the crowd is going wild,” radio announcer Marv Albert said.
Los Angeles stopped to watch Reed, who did two quick jump shots in the early minutes of the game and ran back down the court with a noticeable limp after two of them. He would not score again, but the Knicks did not need him to. With their captain coming back and Walt Frazier’s 36 points and 19 assists spurring them to a 113-99 romp and their first NBA title.
Frazier for his team delivered one of the most impressive performances ever in a deciding game, but it remains a footnote to Reed’s return. In 2006, in line with the NBA’s 60th anniversary, it finished third in voting for the league’s 60 greatest playoff moments, after Michael Jordan’s championship-winning jumper for his sixth title in 1998 and Magic Johnson ending his rookie season by stepping in for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at centre in Game 6 of the 1980 finals to lead the Lakers to a championship.
In subsequent moments, what Reed did at Game 7 during Knicks VS Lakers, became a point of reference sometimes when a player came back from injury. One instance is when the Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce was lifted off the floor with a knee injury in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against Los Angeles before returning. But Phil Jackson, Reed’s teammate and then Lakers coach has dismissed that comparison because of the severity of Reed’s injury.
“If I’m not mistaken, I think Willis Reed missed a whole half and three-quarters almost of a game and literally had to have a shot — a horse shot, three or four of them — in his thigh to come back out and play,” Jackson said.
Reed could not recover that fast from injuries in the years to come. He was restricted to only 11 games in 1971-22 but came back stronger the next season to lead the Knicks to their second title in what was the last full season he played.
Although his comeback made the ‘70 title the more celebrated one, it was the ‘72-73 squad, who were fortified by Hall of Famers Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas that stood out to Reed.
“That, to me, in my mind was the best team,” he said during its 40th-anniversary celebration.
Willis Reed will go on to play 19 more games in 1973-74 before retiring due to a knee injury after only 10 seasons.
This 10 season was enough time for The Captain to collect over 12,000 points and 8,400 rebounds, two of which still rank top three on the Knicks’ career lists.
Reed had a successful post-playing career as a coach and executive with 76ers coach Doc Rivers remember playing for the Atlanta Hawks when Reed was an assistant coach.
“He was simply a great person, A man!!! A leader!!! A Winner!!!” Rivers tweeted.
I loved this man… He was my assistant coach when I was a player with the Hawks. He was simply a great person, A man !!! A leader!!! A Winner!!! 🙏🏾 https://t.co/QDIxHZcr22
Willis Reed was born June 25, 1942, in Hico, Louisiana. He was in his home state for his college career, leading Grambling State to the 1961 NAIA championship and a third-place finish in 1963. The school retired his number and named its court after Reed in 2022.
As a second-round pick in 1964, he proved immediately that being 6-foot-9 would not stop him from becoming one of the NBA’s top centres. He was voted Rookie of the Year and earned the first of his seven straight All-Star selections.
Reed played a huge role in driving the New York Knicks to become one of the best teams in the NBA, alongside Hall of Famers like Frazier, Bill Bradley, and Dave DeBusschere.
He contributed 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds for his career, including a lot of toughness. In 2014, a documentary by ESPN on those Knicks showed a clip of a 1966 fight in a game against the Lakers, where Reed threw punches at multiple opponents, with Jackson noting that Reed seemed to “decimated this team.’’
Reed’s No.19 was the first number retired by the Knicks and in 1982 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
He went on to coach the Knicks to a playoff berth in 1977-78 but coached them 14 more games the next season. He was also a head coach at Creighton and the New Jersey Nets, but his greatest success after his career as a player came in the front office.
He was the senior vice president of basketball operations when they drafted Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson, who became All-Stars, leading the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs in the 1990s.
