From Hico to New York: Reed’s Upbringing and the Draft

In 1942 Willis Reed was born in Hico, a small town in northwest Louisiana, into a poor family of nine children. Like many Southern Black kids, basketball was his only way out of isolation.

Reed played college ball at the historic HBCU Grambling State under coach Eddie Robinson. There he grew into a national-level center; as a senior he neared 20-20 and led the team to a stunning record. In the 1964 NBA Draft, the Knicks took him 2nd overall (right after top pick Jim Barnes).

As a rookie he delivered immediately: 19.5 points and 14.7 rebounds, an All-Star nod and Rookie of the Year. From a small HBCU to New York's cornerstone took him a single step. The Knicks finally had a foundation—a two-way, steady, captain-type center.

His roots made him treasure the team. Grambling taught him "to play for the man behind you," a responsibility that became the Knicks' locker-room soul.

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• The Defensive Anchor: How Reed Built the Knicks’ Iron Interior
• 1973 Again: Reed’s Second Finals MVP
• Willis Reed: The Man Who Walked Out Hurt, and the Knicks’ First Crown