Portland Trail Blazers great Maurice Lucas passes away
Former Portland Trail Blazers power forward Maurice Lucas died at the age of 58 on Sunday 31 October after a long fight with bladder cancer, the team announced on Monday 1 November.
Lucas, who was known as “The Enforcer”, led the Portland Trail Blazers to a title in the 1976-77 season, where he averaged a team-high 20.2 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and his number
20 jersey was retired by team in 1988.
"We have lost a champion of a man," Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "Maurice was a great man and a great friend. He battled his illness like the warrior he was on the basketball court."
"We were so fortunate to have his influence on the young men on this team. He was my mentor, my big brother, and I always knew he had my back. He has left us far too soon," McMillan added.
Lucas, who was also a perennial NBA all-star during his days, served as an assistant coach with Portland for six seasons before leaving the team last year to undergo surgery and did not return
to the Blazers’ bench this season.
Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen was also saddened by Lucas’ passing, who he tagged as one of the greatest Blazers ever.
"Maurice Lucas was an amazing man and I count myself lucky to have known him," Allen said in the team's official statement. "We all, players, coaches, the owner and the fans, were made better
by having Maurice a part of our team, whether playing on the championship team or, most recently as an assistant coach."
Lucas, who played college Ball at Marquette, averaged 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in his 12-year NBA career with the Blazers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Seattle
Supersonics, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lucas also led Marquette to the 1974 NCAA finals and was named to the all-final four team that year along with his Blazers teammate Bill Walton, who named his son, Luke Walton of the Los
Angeles Lakers, after him.
"I hadn't seen him as much lately, but he and my dad still talked all the time," Luke Walton said. "From what I heard, he had been in some pain for a while. It's tough. He's a great guy."
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