"Willis is the kind of guy who wanted to play every time" - Earl Monroe said he wasn't surprised when Willis Reed returned in Game 7 of '70 Finals

The 1970 Finals was one of the most competitive series in NBA history, as the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers kept going back and forth. Even if it was ultra-competitive, the series is most known for Willis Reed' s moment during Game 7. He missed the previous contest due to a severe thigh injury, but he wanted to inspire his teammates by playing a few minutes in the win-or-go-home game, which worked wonders.

While he was not part of the 1970 team, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe recalled what Reed was like and why he wasn't surprised when he decided to return.

"We always thought of Willis as the enforcer because he was not only a big and strong guy, but he kinda controlled things as a player," Monroe said on 75 Stories for Reed. "Willis is the kind of guy who wanted to play every time. He never really wanted to come out of the game. It was almost a fight when Red (Holtzman) told Willis to take a break."

Reed inspired the team to perform well

In Game 7, Reed only played the first half and made two of his nine shots, but his presence was enough to uplift the team. He lit a fire under Walt "Clyde" Frazier , who had a standout performance with 36 points and 19 assists, leading the Knicks to a 113-99 victory to seal the title.

While the spotlight was on Reed, Clyde had one of the best performances out of any player in Game 7 history. It was a momentous performance that led to some accolades for the Knicks, and Frazier felt it was the best game of his storied career .

"Red (Holtzman) told me to start to look to do more offensively. Most of the time, I was the guy who was trying to hit the open, but this particular night, I was the open man," Frazier said when recalling Game 7. "I was taking my shots, I was coming up with steals, there's no question that was my greatest performance ever."

Reed led the Knicks again in 1973

When the Knicks returned to the Finals in a rematch against the Lakers, Reed was healthy. That meant he was ready to lead the team again, which he did, winning the Finals MVP with averages of 16.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

Monroe was part of that team, so he saw firsthand how good Reed was. He saw that he never wanted to leave the game, which was the explanation for The Pearl's questions from three years earlier.

Reed is a standout in Knicks history and arguably their greatest-ever player because he spearheaded the charge for the best era in franchise history.

Related: "The loudest noise I've ever heard" - Game photographer recalled Willis Reed's limping entrance before 1970 Finals Game 7