Bill Text: NY J00614 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Willis Reed, legendary Hall of Fame Center for the Championship New York Knicks, celebrated NBA All-Star, MVP, and Captain

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 42-21)

Status: (Passed) 2023-03-28 - ADOPTED [J00614 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00614-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 614

BY: Senator BAILEY

        MOURNING  the death of Willis Reed, legendary Hall
        of Fame Center for the Championship New York Knicks,
        celebrated NBA All-Star, MVP, and Captain

  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor  and  pay
just tribute to the memory of those prominent individuals whose esteemed
careers  in  athletics and contributions to the sport of basketball have
evolved the nature of the game, and fostered  cultural  enrichment,  not
just within their communities, but the entire State of New York; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  with  profound  sorrow  and  deep regret that this
Legislative  Body  records  the  passing  of  Willis  Reed,  noting  the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

  WHEREAS, Willis Reed, the brawny and inspirational hub of two Knicks
championship  teams  that  captivated New York in the early 1970s with a
sharp, team-oriented style of play, died on Tuesday, March 21, 2023,  at
the age of 80; and

  WHEREAS,  Affectionally  known  as  The  Captain,  Willis Reed was a
highly skilled 6-foot-10 center with a  resolute  physicality  that  was
much  admired  over  his  illustrious  10-year  career with the New York
Knicks; and

  WHEREAS, Truly beloved by New York fans, it was his  willingness  to
play  hurt  that brought Willis Reed his greatest measure of respect and
fame; his grittiness was never more exemplified and celebrated  than  on
May  8,  1970, in the decisive game of the NBA Finals, during which time
he scored two thrilling baskets  in  the  opening  minutes  of  Game  7,
inspiring  his  team  and  creating one of the most enduring examples of
playing through pain; and

  WHEREAS, Born on June 25,  1942  in  Hico,  Louisiana,  Willis  Reed
showed  athletic  ability  at an early age and played basketball at West
Side High School in Lillie, Louisiana, before attending Grambling  State
University,  a historically black college, where he amassed 2,280 career
points, averaging 26.6 points per game and 21.3 rebounds per game during
his senior year;  he  led  the  Tigers  to  one  NAIA  Title  and  three
Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships; and

  WHEREAS,  Selected  by  the  Knicks  in the second round of the 1964
Draft, Willis Reed signed with the franchise for approximately  $10,000,
and  quickly  made  a  name  for  himself  as  a fierce, dominating, and
physical force on both ends of the floor; in March of 1965, he scored 46
points against the Los Angeles Lakers,  the  second-highest  single-game
total ever by the Knicks' rookie; and

  WHEREAS,  In  an  astounding career which traversed a decade, Willis
Reed earned a place in the Knicks top 10 in nearly every  category,  and
was  among  the  top  three in minutes played (23,073), field goals made
(4,859), rebounds (8,414), and total points (12,183); and

  WHEREAS, Willis Reed won the NBA's Most Valuable  Player  Award  for
the  1969-70 season and was named the MVP of the championship series; he
won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1965, was voted  an  All-Star  seven
times, and won another NBA Title and Finals MVP with the Knicks in 1973;
for his career, he averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game; and

  WHEREAS, Furthermore, he was chosen by the NBA for its 50th and 75th
Anniversary  Teams,  and in 1996, he was chosen by the NBA as one of its
50 greatest players; his renowned No. 19 uniform jersey, white with blue
and orange trim, was the first to be retired by the  Knicks  on  October
21,  1976;  he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of
Fame in 1982; and

  WHEREAS, Off the court, Willis Reed was a gentle giant, flashing  an
easy  smile  and  typically  extending a large hand to greet friends and
acquaintances; within the  Knicks  organization,  he  was  known  to  be
generous with teammates in an era when financial rewards in professional
sports were not as substantial as they are today; and

  WHEREAS,  With  an  enduring presence at the Garden and in New York,
Willis Reed spent his entire professional  basketball  career,  1964  to
1974,  with the Knicks; a legend among men, he was the perfect heartbeat
of  those  two  Knicks  championship  teams  and  possessed   intangible
qualities  the  franchise  has  been  unable  to  duplicate:  heart  and
inexhaustible effort; and

  WHEREAS, In the game of basketball, some seasons are  only  worth  a
moment,  some  moments are worth an entire season; some moments define a
career; Willis Reed made the most of his  moment  and  will  forever  be
remembered  as  a  class act, a team player, a humble winner, and a role
model for how to play the game; his ceaseless dedication to the sport of
basketball has not only been an inspiration to his countless  fans,  but
to  his  teammates  with  whom he shared years of tough losses and great
victories; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death of Willis Reed, and to express its deepest condolences
to his family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Willis Reed.