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| Dates | April 24 – May 8 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Willis Reed[1] (New York Knicks) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Knicks: Willis Reed (1982) Bill Bradley (1983) Dave DeBusschere (1983) Walt Frazier (1987) Phil Jackson (2007, coach) Dick Barnett (2024) Lakers: Elgin Baylor (1977) Wilt Chamberlain (1979) Jerry West (1980) Coaches: Red Holzman (1986) Officials: Mendy Rudolph (2007) | |||||||||
| Eastern finals | Knicks defeated Bucks, 4–1 | |||||||||
| Western finals | Lakers defeated Hawks, 4–0 | |||||||||
The 1970 NBA World Championship Series was the championship series of the 1970 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the 1969–70 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Division champion New York Knicks defeated the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games for their first NBA title.
The Knicks appeared to have a see-saw Game 3 won when Dave DeBusschere made a shot with three seconds left to give New York a 102–100 edge and the Lakers were stuck with no time outs. L.A. inbounded to Mr. Clutch, Jerry West, who launched and made a miracle shot from beyond midcourt. It counted only for two points, as only the ABA had a three-point shot at the time, so the game went to overtime, and the Knicks were able to win, 111–108.[2]
The final game of the series was named by ESPN in 2010 as the greatest Game 7 in finals history, featuring a return from injury for Willis Reed.[3] Reed's most famous performance took place on May 8, 1970, in Game 7 played at Madison Square Garden. Due to a severe thigh injury suffered in Game 5, a torn muscle that kept him out of Game 6, he was considered unlikely to play in Game 7. Yet Reed surprised the fans by walking onto the court during warmups, prompting widespread applause. Starting the game, he scored the Knicks' first two field goals on his first two shot attempts, his only points of the game.[2] He then played defense on Wilt Chamberlain, limiting him to two shots made in nine attempts. When Reed left for good with 3:05 left in the first half, the Knicks led 61–37.[4] Walt "Clyde" Frazier took it from there, finishing with 36 points and 19 assists as the Knicks won the championship, 113–99. Following the game in the winner's locker room, a moved Howard Cosell told Reed on national television, "You exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer."[2] ESPN's SportsCentury Top 10 Games of the 20th Century ranked Game 7 and the 9th Greatest Game in 1999.