Knick glory: The 1970 climax of the Cinderella run

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Peter Max. Almost 50 years ago, the New York Knicks won their last championship. It was a titanic battle between two of the biggest franchises in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers had put together quite a team (as it always has) and were surprised that the Knicks forced everyone to a seventh game.

In the fifth game, Knicks leader, Willis Reed tore his right thigh muscle. The Lakers, behind the strength of their superstars, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, pounced and destroyed the Knicks in game six. Peter Max.

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It looked bleak for the Knicks, even with the seventh game being played in their own Madison Square Garden. Until, of course, the impossible happened.

Out from the Knicks dugout limped their wounded captain, Willis Reed, all dressed up to do battle one last time that season in a scene that would forever be one of the most inspiring in league history.

Peter Max. While he was nowhere near 100%, Reed did manage to score a few points and cause the dominant Chamberlain to miss more than just a few shots of his own.

Reed’s actions not only revitalized the fans, but it also fed into the collective energy of the Knicks. Another Knick legend and NBA Hall-of-Famer Walt Frazier took it from there, scoring 36 points and dishing out 19 assists, capturing the title for the fabled franchise. Peter Max.