Win one for the enforcer
Best wishes to Blazer all-time great and current assistant coach Maurice Lucas, who's recovering from surgery. Luke is a regular guy -- remind me to tell you my "brush with greatness" moment with him from the late '70s -- and he was a sweet ballplayer in his day. His presence on the Blazer bench is valued, and it will be missed for the rest of the season.
| Posted at 11:31 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (4)
Two memories are etched in my mind:
On the court, it was the Darryl Dawkins fight, that started with Bobby Gross flipping the big guy off. Darryl proceeded to throw a punch and hit his own teammate Doug Collins.
Maurice approached Darryl from behind and slammed him with a forearm to the back of the neck and it was on.
The Enforcer had stepped forward to take on one of the biggest, most physical centers ever.
The other memory was the day of the parade. You know which parade. I was on Broadway by the Benson as the truck with the Jefferson band rolled up. It was a flatbed truck with a huge Rip City sign on the front. I even saw Walton on his bicycle before someone in the crowd took it.
After the parade passed, I crossed over to 4th, one block north of the courthouse but on the other side of the street, where they had a downstairs deli. I was down there drinking Heinekens and waiting for a sandwich when I looked up out the glass windows as the parade was passing by again going back north.
In the car was Maurice Lucas in the brilliant sunshine looking like the healthiest, most handsome super-hero of all time.
One other thing: How cool is it that when we play the Lakers, one of their players - Luke Walton - is named after our assistant coach.
Get well, Maurice. And get well too, Bill Walton, from your back surgery. Oh, to return to those days for just a week. Or a month. How about for a season? Go Blazers.
Posted by Bill McDonald | April 3, 2009 12:34 AM
Nice guys don't get enough ink. Thanks, Jack.
Posted by David E Gilmore | April 3, 2009 9:16 AM
You know who was the first person to give Luke a shoutout about his medical condition when not a word had been mentioned to the public? Brandon Roy during the post game interview with Rebecca Haarlow last Saturday. It was the first thing he said anwering Haarlow's first question. Not until yesterday, was there an announcement or ANYTHING said about it from the Blazers or anyone else. I just thought that was odd.
Watching Luke play was a total pleasure. In those days, the big guys were allowed to play a lot rougher, throwing elbows, etc. And Maurice was not to be messed with...ever. As Maurice said a few months back, in the days he played, throwing a punch got you only a $50 fine.
I've gotten to meet him a number of times - as a player and since then. And unlike his on-the-court persona, what a nice, friendly guy. All Blazer fans wish him the very best.
Posted by Pete | April 3, 2009 11:09 AM
He was the MVP of 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IF_F5FzZRY
Posted by meg | April 3, 2009 4:06 PM