Damn, has it really been that long? Seems like just a couple of years ago that Bill Walton was swatting the missed George McGinnis shot, which would've potentially tied the sixth game of the 1977 NBA Finals, out to Johnny Davis.
That team was honored in Portland today, story HERE, and the time passed since has not lessened my view, or thrill, of that championship, especially being a hometown fan (it's one thing to enjoy a championship or big victory by a team you follow out of area, i.e. my relationship with the New York Mets or Tottenham Hotspur, from North London), but the emotional relationship with a home team is something special that will always linger.
I can still recall getting home from church that Sunday, June 5th, with the game tied at 40. The Blazers then scored ten points in a row to seemingly take charge, but the talented 76ers showed no quit in their challenge to claim the NBA title.
Everybody knows the story of the 77 Blazers team, so I won't recount too much of that, but the euphoria of clutch playoff performances such as Maurice Lucas's turnaround jumper against Denver to win a crucial road game, or Herm Gilliam (RIP) single-handedly taking the Lakers in another vital encounter en route to a four game sweep in the Conference finals (also lest we forget Brent Musberger's continuing references to Bill Walton as the "mountain Man").
A shout out to two of my favourite Blazers ever........Lloyd Neal and Larry Steele, players who truly understood the team concept and gave everything they had, as well as Maurice Lucas and Dave Twardzik, ABA survivors who also enhanced the quality of play by that year's team. Okay, so Oregon wasn't exactly on the national radar in terms of getting total information on that late, lamented league, but I knew enough from reading The Sporting News and Basketball Digest, as well as collecting basketball cards, to know enough that the acquisition of those two players were a tremendous asset to an up and coming franchise. (Only thing that still makes me shake my head though, the fact that we also had Moses Malone in training camp that year; I still have my basketball card with Malone as a Blazer).
Always great to revisit those years, all of those close calls in the Drexler era are almost as fine, especially in terms of relating to the players as a community, and the Blazers honored that special team in a ceremony against the season finale against the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately, the injury-plagued Blazers are facing a team that has to win if they want to make the playoffs, and are currently trailing 79-55. Yikes.
RALLY
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