Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and former New York Knicks scorer Carmelo Anthony showed their love and admiration for Willis Reed, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80.
After learning of Reed's heartbreaking death, Anthony took to Instagram to mourn his passing. He shared a photo of him during his time with the Knicks and LeBron when the superstar was still with the Miami Heat along with the Knicks legend. Melo captioned it with, “Rest in power, Captain.”
James, for his part, shared Anthony's post on his IG Story and accompanied it with several prayer and dove emojis.
Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James react to heartbreaking passing of Willis Reed 🙏 pic.twitter.com/GLYbsvbK8v
— Kit Guinhawa (@BeatKit22) March 21, 2023
Willis Reed's cause of death was not revealed, but it was reported that he had been dealing with “congestive heart problems over the past year or so.”
The whole NBA world is mourning the passing of Reed, who is known for giving the Knicks some of their best, if not the greatest moments in franchise history. Reed led the team to two NBA championships–winning the NBA Finals MVP in both instances.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also released a statement on Tuesday to celebrate the life of Reed and his success on the basketball court. Silver shared that the Knicks great provided him with his “earliest and fondest memories of NBA basketball.”
“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 sports. As a league MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP and member of the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Willis was a decorated player who took great pride in his consistency. Following his playing career, Willis mentored the next generation as a coach, team executive and proud HBCU alumnus. We send our deepest condolences to Willis’ wife, Gail, his family and his many friends and fans,” Silver shared in his statement.
Reed certainly made a lasting impact to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and the whole NBA. Sure enough, his legacy will live on.
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