Maurice Lucas, former NBA star, dies at 58

 

Maurice Lucas, the fierce power forward who helped lead the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 National Basketball Assn. championship title, has died. He was 58.

Lucas died Sunday after a long battle with bladder cancer, the Trail Blazers announced.

Lucas, who was born Feb. 18, 1952, in Pittsburgh,  led Portland’s 1976-77 championship team in scoring with 20.2 points per game. He also averaged 11.2 rebounds that season. The video shows the end of Portland's clinching victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Lucas played 12 NBA seasons with  Portland, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, the Lakers and Seattle. He played two seasons in the American Basketball Assn. with St. Louis and Kentucky and also served as an assistant coach with the Blazers.

Lucas led Marquette University to the 1974 NCAA title game against North Carolina State.

--Associated Press

 



Comments

[Ronski]

Wow, we're losing a lot of retired players at a early age.

[John]

He was a hell of a power foward.

[CCLady]

Sorry, but Marquette lost that championship game, 76-64.

[Michael]

Marquette should have been playing UCLA in that game, NC State, lead by David "Skywalker" Thompson, upset UCLA in the semi-finals.......

Maurice was a good player, a better teammate (enforcer), and from what I have heard over the years, a decent human being.

That Portland team coached by Ramsey, was fun to watch!!!

[Patrick]

Luke Walton of the Lakers was named after Maurice Lucas. a great loss for the NBA family.

[Sandy]

I remember watching that game with the sound off because I got so sick of Musberger's screaming.

[Gorgegirl]

This is the video when Luke and Dawkins got into it in Philadelphia after Dawkins fouled Bill Gross.

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/01/maurice-lucas-an-unforgettable-force/?icid=nba|pos1|maurice-lucas-an-unforgettable-force-dead-at-58