Walt Frazier took off the PG label from his otherwise impeccable answer when asked about his memories of Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, aka The Willis Reed Game.
Or the way Clyde knows it, as “bulls**t.”
“They call it The Willis Reed Game and I call it ‘bulls**t,'” said Frazier at a Puma-sponsored Q&A session. “Willis inspired us, he made the first few shots and then I took over. I had 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, sold hot dogs at halftime (laughs). I had the game of my life and the Knicks would win their first championship.”
.@WaltFrazier says they call Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals the “Willis Reed Game,” but that’s “bulls***.”
Clyde reminds the crowd he had the game of his life. @PUMAHoops @nyknicks 🏀💍🗽 pic.twitter.com/vhalunscWh
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) September 16, 2019
The 1970 NBA Finals will be forever engraved as a Willis Reed moment. The big man had a severe thigh injury which had caused him to miss Game 6 and likely Game 7, but he took the court for warmups in heroic fashion and scored the first two baskets for the Knickerbockers in the deciding game. However, he wouldn't be much of a factor the rest of the way, going 0-for-3 in the remainder of the game and playing only 27 minutes due to the gravity of his injury.
While Reed had a strongly motivating presence by lacing them up despite his injury, players like Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley, and Dave DeBusschere had a more vital imprint in the scoreboard, helping the Knicks obtain a sound victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
It's a funny fact that Clyde mentioned he had four steals, as the stat didn't become official until 1973, though he clearly remembers every bounce of the ball during such a monumental time of his life. Perhaps the most impressive thing is that the Knicks proved to be the better team, withstanding 48-minute efforts from Wilt Chamberlain (21 points and 24 rebounds) and Jerry West (28 points) through an unforgettable 113-99 championship-sealing win.
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