Fansided

5 best 2nd-round picks in NBA Draft history

By Lior Lampert

Feb 13, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts from the court during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts from the court during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Willis Reed

The late and great Willis Reed was selected with the first pick of the second round by the New York Knicks in the 1964 NBA Draft. Earning his nickname, The Captain, he brought two championships to a Knicks franchise that has not seen one since.

Willis Reed entered the NBA and immediately dominated. In his rookie season, he posted an average of 19.5 points and 14.7 rebounds per game, which earned him the 1964-65 Rookie of the Year and an All-Star appearance. He went on to earn six more All-Star nominations in the following six seasons.

The 1969-1970 season was epic for Willis Reed and the Knicks. He earned All-Star and regular season MVP honors before leading his team to the NBA Finals. Reed walking out of the tunnel before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals was a special moment in Madison Square Garden.

His status for possibly the biggest game in Knicks history was severely in doubt. But when he emerged out of that tunnel, fans and teammates alike felt that Reed’s perseverance gave the team the motivation they needed to pull off the victory. He earned Final’s MVP as a result of his heroic efforts.

Reed earned Finals MVP honors again in 1973 while leading the Knicks to their second title in three years. Sadly, he only played one more season after that due to a knee injury which cost him most of the 1973-74 season.

In 10 years, he made a large enough impact on one of the most famous franchises in the history of the sport to earn NBA 75th Anniversary Team honors. Throughout his career, he averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Even though Reed is no longer with us, the memories he created will live on forever.

Home/NBA