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. Reed’s return is said to have sparked the Knicks’s victory and their first world championship. Yet, the story of these NBA Finals reaches far beyond that moment. It includes everyone from Howard Cosell to Richard Nixon. Gabe and Alex explore all of that, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley, and Dave Debusschere in the first episode of Ball Through The Ages. Subscribe to us on substack to get every episode sent to your inbox: ballthroughtheages.substack.com. Follow us on twitter: @ballthroughages. Graphics by @wlohaty.
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Show Outline
Opening-Why are we talking about this briefly
Study Hall (background)
Lakers
Knicks
Series leading up to this
The Skinny
Knicks blow out the Lakers from the start.
Walt Fraizer finishes with 36 points, 19 assists, and 7 rebounds
Crucial moments
Willis Reed coming into game
Knicks first 5 minutes
Frazier’s second quarter run
Frazier 7-9 in the 3rd quarter, really puts the game away
Who Lived up to the Hype
Willis Reed
Walt Fraizer
The Knicks and MSG
Jerry West
Wilt Chamberlain
Time Machine (what most took you back to that time or what looks the weirdest now)
Short shorts
Wilt’s underhand layups
Tip offs at the start of every quarter
Names of the guys in this game
Playoff format and geography
Civil War tape jobs
Legacy
This should be the Clyde Frazier game!
Bill Bradley and Dave Debusschere
Best time ever for Knicks, Jets, Mets fans
Nixon’s wild night
Stuff that didn’t make it
Jerry West had an 81 inch wingspan despite being 6’3”
The New York Times story on the Lakers was a bit dramatic:
WALT FRAIZER HAD 36 POINTS AND 19 ASSISTS. We mentioned that twice but it doesn’t feel like it was enough.
The Willis Reed Game (Game 7, 1970 NBA Finals)