Former NBA star Maurice Lucas, who was known as "The Enforcer" during the 1970s with the Portland Trail Blazers, died on Halloween evening (October 31) after a long fight with bladder cancer, said reports.
Lucas was just 58 years old. According to the NBA.com, he passed away at his home in Portland on Sunday.
"We have lost a champion of a man," Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said in a statement. "Maurice was a great man and a great friend. He battled his illness like the warrior he was on the basketball court."
Lucas played the power forward position during his 12-year NBA career. He also helped the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, leading the team in scoring, minutes played, field goals, free throws, and offensive rebounds that season -- averaging 20.2 points and grabbed 11.2 rebounds per game. All of this during his first NBA season. In the Finals, he and teammate Bill Walton helped sweep the favored Los Angeles Lakers 4-0.
Walton named his son Luke, who currently plays for the 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."
The former NBA star joined Portland in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. His #20 was retired by the Blazers in 1988.
After his NBA career, he served as an assistant coach with the Blazers for six seasons, but last year he left the team to undergo surgery before suffering a setback last November. He did not return to coaching this season.
He also played with in New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers and Seattle during his career. In two seasons before coming to the NBA, he played in the ABA with St. Louis and Kentucky.
Lucas was also a five-time All-Star.
The Trail Blazers' owner Paul Allen praised Lucas in a statement released late Sunday night.
"Maurice Lucas was an amazing man and I count myself lucky to have known him. 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.
"He was one of the greatest Blazers ever."
Lucas was just 58 years old. According to the NBA.com, he passed away at his home in Portland on Sunday.
"We have lost a champion of a man," Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said in a statement. "Maurice was a great man and a great friend. He battled his illness like the warrior he was on the basketball court."
Lucas played the power forward position during his 12-year NBA career. He also helped the Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, leading the team in scoring, minutes played, field goals, free throws, and offensive rebounds that season -- averaging 20.2 points and grabbed 11.2 rebounds per game. All of this during his first NBA season. In the Finals, he and teammate Bill Walton helped sweep the favored Los Angeles Lakers 4-0.
Walton named his son Luke, who currently plays for the 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."
The former NBA star joined Portland in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. His #20 was retired by the Blazers in 1988.
After his NBA career, he served as an assistant coach with the Blazers for six seasons, but last year he left the team to undergo surgery before suffering a setback last November. He did not return to coaching this season.
He also played with in New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers and Seattle during his career. In two seasons before coming to the NBA, he played in the ABA with St. Louis and Kentucky.
Lucas was also a five-time All-Star.
The Trail Blazers' owner Paul Allen praised Lucas in a statement released late Sunday night.
"Maurice Lucas was an amazing man and I count myself lucky to have known him. 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.
"He was one of the greatest Blazers ever."