Where Are They Now: Championship Edition

Early into the season there were 3 of us. We would go down just before game time, buy cheap seats and sneak down low (it was easy then at the Memorial Coliseum). 19- 20 years old we were, and couldn't wait to see how the ABA dispersal draftees were looking. Could Walton stay healthy? We all knew if he could, and if "Luke" was everything he was hyped to be (tough guy supreme), we could be good. How little we were prepared for what lay ahead.

Here is a scenario of a typical home game:

Tip off. Blazers would score 4 quick lay-ups off of offensive sets through Bill who stood at the top of key, 8-0. Other team coach would call a time out. Blazers would then come out and score several easy fast break points off blocked shots and rebounds by Bill. Before his feet would even tough the ground, he would turn in mid air and fire a half court pass to this new guy named Twardzik or "The Train". A couple more baskets off set plays for "Luke", who showed us his soon to be famous pump fake. He would raise ball up as if going into a full shooting motion. His feet appeared to come of the ground, but they didn't, his toes would barely stay on the floor.  The defender could not help himself, and would always bite. Luke would dribble around and to the hoop uncontested (To this day Luke's fake has rank to right up there with Jack Sikma's and Robert Parrish). Score now was 18-2 Blazers, again coach for other team calls timeout. Blazers come right back out after time out and practice a literal lay-up drill for the rest of the quarter as now Bill would post up down low on left side of lane dolling out layins (with out ANYONE having to dribble the ball). They would just lay it in after catching the pass. Blazers would take a 30-10 lead after one quarter. Other team huddles around coach, who looks lost and without a clue how to handle what he just witnessed. I mean the other coach WOULD NOT HAVE A CLUE what to do to get back in the game. Same scenario was then repeated with out mercy for next 3 quarters.

For fun, we would sometimes take other friends to games and then play like we were the amazing Carnac's nephews and "predict" the blowout scenario before it would happen. From 1st timeout to end of first quarter, it did not matter who we would play. It was unreal how regular it would actually play out. 19 & 20 years old we were then. There we would sit, having this unbelievable team seemingly play all to ourselves (at first that year the Coliseum would regularly be more than 1/2 empty).  

2 more thoughts on that team.

I remember how upset we were that Moses Malone was not kept on the opening day roster (he was also picked up in ABA dispersal draft), the 19 year old kid showed he was going to be a player to back up Bill and Luke (he was traded to the Buffalo Braves!).

And a special place in our hearts is for Bobby Gross. His defense on Dr. J in the finals simply had to be seen to be believed. Gross had unbelievable hops. How he made Julius Erving work so hard on defense just to keep up with his constant motion, always a threat to score a lay up off a Walton feed. It kept the great one just off balance enough all series. It is one of the very best, yet seldom told stories of the championship series and how we beat the 76'ers. All the championship series stories alone would fill a recent diary (if there were more bloggers in tune with the 77' experience on line).  

So many unbelievable memories of that year and the 50-10 run that started the next. Then.....well let's just say we all still get together to play golf (maybe 10-12 times a year). It's at the tee boxes in the early mornings that we still swap all the little stories of us simply "being there" when it all began.  

       

Nice stroll down memory lane. Hey, how about how absolutely stunned we all were when the Sixers ripped us a new one in games 1 & 2? Especially after we had just swept Kareem and the Lakers 4 -0 (Sport Illustrated had on the front cover after that series)? We as an entire state, sat in front of our TV's and just could not believe what we were watching. The big bad Sixers, the media darlings and favorites, they were completely trouncing us. We just watched stunned as their fans were going crazy. It seeemed all was lost, this wasn't really happening was it? Embarassed, horrified, despondent, truly words cannot describe how we were ALL feeling as game 2 started to come to close.

Then, do you remember when everything changed for Portland in the championship series? When a single, solitary moment seemed to alter the hands of fate?

Late in game 2, with the score well out of reach, Bobby Gross and Doug Collins were pushing and shoving each around. The Blazers were being pushed around big time and Bobby was not taking any more of it. Then as if to squash what little life was left in Portland, the biggest baddest most feared man in the NBA, Darrell Dawkins came rushing into the mix and swung a HUGE right handed haymaker intended for Bobby G's face. It could kill a man he was that big. We all gasped in horror as we watched the monster from Philly charge in and attack. But incredibly, his fist barely grazed Bobby's face and instead slobber knocked Collins right in the eye sending Doug flying backwards! I swear at that moment the entire state stood up in front of their TV's screaming in unison "Where is Luke, where is Luke?". And like clockwork, Luke came riding to the rescue, charging into the foray and placed a forearm shiver to the back of "Chocolate Thunders" head. Remember how proud all of us in Portland were when "The Enforcer" protected our team at that precise moment of need and help? It stunned Dawkins and the entire city of Philly. What was this little team from Portland doing fighting back? It was a feeling that we, the underdogs, the "back woods" state of Oregon (in the eyes of Philly, and in fact the entire east coast) were being rescued. And make no mistake, our true hero was big Luke (why do you thing we still shout Luuuuuuuuuuuke! at the games now)? It is for this one special moment believe me. Luke, we will never forget what you did that day.

That single moment, it served to change the momentum of the series. I remember how proud we were as a city of Luke and how he stood up to double D. The town was ready for some payback! Philly walked into the MC for game 3 and it was there turn to be torched. It was the exact opposite of what was being served in the first two games. This town was going bezerk. Then, winning game 5 in Philly was like standing at the doorstep of a dream come true, a real dream come true! And at the end of game 6 we all walked right through it together. 4 straight wins! 4 straight wins! Championship!!!! Blazermania was born.

The title was ours thanks in no small part to that special moment in game 2. We will never forget that singular event when you truly were "The Enforcer", a larger than life figure in Oregon sport history. Thank you Maurice Lucas, your Jersey hangs high in the Rose Garden for a very, very special reason.        

     

reflections!  That team meant a lot to Portland and the history of the Blazers.

--Dave