SAD NEWS: Blazers star die unexpectedly earlier this week at age…

who excelled for a Houston Rockets club that reached the NBA Finals in 1981 and 1986, died on Monday at the age of

68.

The Rockets confirmed Reid’s passing.

Reid played 13 seasons in the NBA, the first ten with the Rockets, who drafted the 6’8″ forward in the second round

of the 1977 NBA draft from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

His greatest season came in 1980-81, when he ranked third on the squad in scoring (15.9 PPG), second in rebounds

(7.1 RPG), and first in steals.

That Rockets squad went into the playoffs with a 40-42 record, but they staged an underdog run to the NBA Finals,

beginning with a first-round series triumph over the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, led by Magic

Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The Rockets, which included Hall of Famers Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy, then faced Larry Bird and the

Boston Celtics. Reid led all scorers with 27 points in Game 1, but the Celtics held on for a 98-95 victory. Houston

fought hard against the widely fancied Celtics, but lost in six games.

Reid played one more season before retiring in 1982 to spend more time with his Pentecostal faith. He returned a

year later and averaged 14.0 points per game in 1983-84.

Two seasons later, Reid topped all Houston reserves with 12.0 PPG, helping the Rockets return to the NBA Finals. By

the end of the regular season, Reid had firmly established himself in the starting lineup, alongside Hall of Famer

Akeem (now Hakeem) Olajuwon.

As in 1981, the defending NBA champion Lakers stood in their way of reaching the championship round. This time,

Houston had to face the 62-win Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

However, the Rockets upset the Lakers, winning them in five games. Reid contributed 14.6 points per game,

including 23 in a Game 4 triumph.

His biggest moment, however, came in Game 5, when he sank a corner three with 15 seconds remaining to tie the

game at 112. After the Lakers failed to score, Rockets center Ralph Sampson scored the game-winning shot with no

time remaining to propel Houston to the championship.