Willis Reed was born June 25, 1942, in Hico, Louisiana.  Reed played college basketball for Grambling State University. Reed scored 2,280 career points, averaged 26.6 points and 21.3 rebounds during his senior year, and led the school to one NAIA title and three Southwestern Athletic Conference Championships.  He was eventually drafted 10th overall by the Knicks in 1964, where he quickly established himself as a fierce, dominating and physical force on both ends of the floor.  In his first seasons with the Knicks, he played Power Forward and later gained fame as the starting Center.  In the 1969–70 season, the Knicks won a franchise record 60 games and set a then single-season NBA record with an 18 Game win streak.  Reed played an important role in the Knick success, and in 1970 he became the first player in NBA history to be named the NBA All-Star Game MVP, the NBA Regular Season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season.  That same year, he was named to the All-NBA first team and NBA All-Defensive first team, as well as being named as ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year.  For all his achievements, Reed was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. He is widely considered as one of the greatest Knicks ever.  Reed was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.