1973 NBA Finals MVP: Willis Reed (New York Knicks)
1973 NBA Finals MVP: Willis Reed (New York Knicks)
The 1973 NBA Finals MVP was Willis Reed of the New York Knicks. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1973 went to him — the 2nd of his career.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1973 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Willis Reed |
| Team | New York Knicks |
| Career wins | 2nd |
Why It Mattered
The 1973 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Willis Reed was the central figure in the New York Knicks' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
Notably, this was not a one-off. Willis Reed appears on the NBA Finals MVP list 2 times, which is exactly why queries like "1973 Willis Reed finals mvp" keep attracting search interest year after year.
<!-- Depth details to be added by hand (never invent): series matchup, pivotal games, per-game averages. -->The Other Award That Year
Two individual prizes were handed out in 1973: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Willis Reed (New York Knicks)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Dave Cowens (Boston Celtics)
They went to different players — a clean reminder that "best over a whole season" and "most decisive when it mattered most" are two separate questions.
For the distinction between the two awards, see Finals MVP vs MVP.
Year-by-Year Timeline
- Next (1974): John Havlicek (Boston Celtics) → 1974 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1972): Wilt Chamberlain (Los Angeles Lakers) → 1972 NBA Finals MVP
Related Reading
- Complete List of NBA Finals MVPs (1969–2026)
- The History of the Finals MVP Award
- What Is the NBA Finals MVP Award?
- NBA MVP vs Finals MVP: What's the Difference?
- Willis Reed honor timeline
- 1973 NBA MVP: Dave Cowens (Boston Celtics)
Sources
Year, winner and team data on this page were verified against the NBA's official Finals MVP winners list (NBA.com history finals-mvp-winners) and Basketball-Reference public records, cross-checked against this site's two internal reference lists (last verified 2026-08-15).
FMVP Club — Independent fan site, not affiliated with the NBA.
