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Willis Reed is wincing in the 50-year-old photo — and the Knicks legend winced again when it was shown to him 50 years later. On injured reserve after back surgery during the 1969-70 season, Phil Jackson’s largest accolade during the championship season was snapping a picture of Reed on the trainer’s table. It was about …
Willis Reed is wincing in the 50-year-old photo — and the Knicks legend winced again when it was shown to him 50 years later.
On injured reserve after back surgery during the 1969-70 season, Phil Jackson’s largest accolade during the championship season was snapping a picture of Reed on the trainer’s table. It was about 30 minutes before tipoff of Game 7 of the NBA Finals on May 8, 1970, and the picture depicts a significantly sized needle protruding out of Reed’s left thigh.
Dr. James Parkes is also in the frame, having just injected Reed with the painkiller carbocaine.
Jackson had spent the season as Red Holzman’s unofficial assistant coach. He also served as legendary team photographer George Kalinsky’s photo partner. Friday is the 50th anniversary of Jackson taking the unpublished photo — and the Knicks’ first title.
“That needle looked like it was a foot long,’’ Kalinsky told The Post this week. “I’ve shown Willis. Willis was like, ‘Ooooh.’ He said, ‘I still remember the pain.’ And he had a painful look on his face like, ‘Don’t show me that.’ ”
Few have seen it. Knicks coach Red Holzman was in the trainer’s room as Jackson took the photo. He snapped at Jackson.
“[Holzman] immediately said he didn’t want anybody to see that,’’ Kalinsky said. “We respected Red. Red was the leader of the team. Phil respected Red. Red felt it was a private moment in the trainer’s room. I had my camera out, but Phil shot the picture.”
Soon after, Kalinsky captured Reed hobbling out of the Garden tunnel before Game 7 of the epic Knicks-Lakers series — a photo regarded as one of the most iconic in sports lore. Jackson’s graphic photo has remained hidden.
A week after Reed inspired the Knicks to the Game 7 triumph on one leg, Kalinsky and Jackson collaborated on a picture book, “Take It All.’’ They came across the negative of Reed and the needle. Jackson asked Kalinsky to ask Holzman if he would reconsider.
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“I don’t think it’s for anybody else,’’ Holzman told Kalinsky.
Kalinsky kept the negative and printed the photo, storing it for safekeeping. A few years ago, as May 8 approached, Kalinsky decided to give Jackson the negative and print.
“This is something that’s valuable and something you should have,’’ Kalinsky said he told Jackson. “It’s yours and I’ve kept it all these years. He said, ‘I have just the place for it. I have a safe waiting for it.’ ”
Jackson may still have the needle photo at his lakeside home in Montana — and still hasn’t published it. Perhaps Jackson has one last memoir he’ll write on his time as Knicks president and he’s waiting to use it then.
Or maybe he’s sold it secretly to a collector. Jackson did not respond to inquiries for this story.
Heritage Auctions indicated Jackson’s photo could fetch a princely sum.
“If a photo like this were to come to auction, given the significance of the moment in New York Knicks history, I’d estimate that it would be worth a minimum of several thousand dollars — though could sell for many, many multiples of that if the right collectors feel it’s a must-have item,” Heritage’s sports auctions director Chris Ivey said in a statement to The Post. “Of course, any good Knicks fans will tell you it’s priceless.”
In the 2003 book “Garden Glory,” Jackson wrote, “Spike [Lee] offered to pay $10,000 for it. I said it’s probably worth ten times that.’’
Jackson said he eventually would give a copy to Reed, but former Knicks publicity chief Jonathan Supranowitz said Reed didn’t want it.
“He said something to the effect that he lived it and didn’t need to see it,’’ Supranowitz said.
“It was an accomplishment,’’ Kalinsky said. “It was a great photo — an important moment that’s a part of sports history.”
In 2014, Kalinsky told The Post that Jackson’s skill as a photographer has been underplayed, saying when they covered a Grateful Dead concert at the Garden together, Jackson got the better shots because of his height.
“He was tall, had a great eye, great sense of design,’’ Kalinsky said. “He had feelings for people and understood people. That’s important being a photographer.’’
Indeed Jackson’s résumé reads two championship rings as a Knick, a record 11 coaching titles and one photo for the ages.
