Wheaties honors NBA legend Willis Reed

NEW YORK -- Wheaties, "The Breakfast of Champions," on Wednesday honored legendary NBA champion Willis Reed with a new limited-edition package. The new Wheaties package, unveiled at a press conference in the NBA Store in New York City, continues the Wheaties tradition of honoring renowned African-American athletes during Black History Month. The new Wheaties box also celebrates the incredible performance of Willis Reed bringing home the NBA Championship for his New York Knicks in the spring of 1970.

In a time of mood rings and pet rocks, 36 cents bought a gallon of gas and a postage stamp cost a dime, and at the Garden, the crowd went wild as they heard, "Here Comes Willis ... "

This marks the first Wheaties appearance for Willis Reed, who led the Knicks to a pair of NBA championships. Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images • Check out Willis Reed's bio and career statistics

Overcoming what was thought to be a season-ending injury, Reed inspired and energized basketball fans by limping his way to the court to play in Game 7. The crowd's energy went through the roof as he sunk two baskets in the first few minutes and led his team to their first NBA Championship.

This was just one moment of greatness in a stellar career. That same year, Reed became the first player to be named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game, the regular season and The Finals in the same season. After playing at Grambling State University, Reed was selected eighth overall by the Knicks in the 1964 NBA Draft, and was the first Knicks player to be named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1965. During his 10-year Knicks career, Reed was a seven-time All-Star and led the Knicks to a second title in 1973, once again earning Finals MVP honors. Reed was selected in 1996 as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.

"I'm honored to see my picture on the cover of the Wheaties box," said Reed. "So many extraordinary sports legends have shared this experience, and I'm proud to be part of that team."

"We're thrilled to welcome Willis Reed into the Wheaties family," said Matt Beliveau of Wheaties Marketing. "He is a true champion, on and off the court, and we're excited to honor his accomplishments."

This marks the first Wheaties appearance for Reed. Other Wheaties Black History Month honorees have included Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, Satchell Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, Walter Payton, Bill Russell and Julius "Dr. J" Erving. The new 15.6-ounce Wheaties package is now available nationwide.

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2008-09 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league's worldwide reach will be reflected in the 77 international players from 32 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than five million daily visits, with more than 50 percent of the site's visitors come from outside of North America.

Domestically, the NBA will broadcast 143 regular-season games on national television during the 2008-09 season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2. NBA TV, launched in 1999 as the first 24-hour television channel created and operated by a professional sports league, will broadcast an additional 96 games. NBA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $97 million to charity, provided more than 800,000 hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 350 places where kids and families can live, learn or play.

Wheaties is "The Official Breakfast Cereal of the NBA." Launched in 1924, Wheaties is the No. 1 whole-grain wheat flaked breakfast cereal in the country. The brand began its association with sports in the mid-1930s with a sign on the left field wall at Nicollet Park near downtown Minneapolis. General Mills' broadcast deal with the minor league Minneapolis Millers on WCCO Radio included the large signboard that Wheaties would use to introduce its new ad slogan: "Wheaties-The Breakfast of Champions." From that rather humble beginning, Wheaties has built a heritage that includes many of the greatest athletes of all time. Learn more at www.wheaties.com.