Maurice Lucas

Lore & Background

Lucas played college basketball for the Marquette Warriors. He began his pro career in the ABA, spending one season with the Spirits of St. Louis and one with the Kentucky Colonels. He then played 12 seasons in the NBA with the Trail Blazers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knickerbockers, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Seattle SuperSonics. The starting power forward on the Trail Blazers' 1976–77 championship team, he was nicknamed "the Enforcer" because of his primary role on the court, which was best exemplified in Game 2 of the NBA Finals that season. During his career, he organized celebrity sporting events to raise awareness and money for children's care at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, where his daughter was treated as an infant. Established in 2010, the Maurice Lucas Foundation in Tigard, Oregon, continues his legacy of supporting children's health and youth programs.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed over the hardwood as Maurice stepped onto the court, sweat already beading on his brow. He didn't need to speak; his presence in the paint was enough to shift the defense's weight. With a roar from the crowd echoing off the rafters, he secured the rebound, turning it into a transition that would define another chapter of his storied career.

Reader's Guide

Lucas played college basketball for head coach Al McGuire with the then-Marquette Warriors for two years, leading them to the NCAA championship game in 1974. In the national semifinal game, Lucas led Marquette to a 64–51 victory over Kansas with game leading totals of 18 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Marquette lost the title game to North Carolina State 76–64, while Lucas played the full 40 minutes of the game, leading his team with both 21 points and 13 rebounds. In 1973, the Carolina Cougars of the ABA obtained the rights to Lucas in the first round of the ABA draft. In 1974, Lucas was also selected by the Chicago Bulls of the NBA with the 14th overall pick of the NBA draft. Lucas chose the ABA over the NBA, joining the Spirits of St. Louis team. He started his career off the bench but soon developed into a tough power forward. During his first season, Lucas averaged 13.2 points per game, and 10 rebounds per game, and was chosen for the 1974–75 ABA All-Rookie second team. On December 17, 1975, part way through his second season with the Spirits, Lucas was traded to the Kentucky Colonels in exchange for Caldwell Jones. Lucas was an ABA All-Star for the 1975–76 season, and averaged 17.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. After the ABA–NBA merger, Lucas was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the subsequent ABA Dispersal Draft. In the 1976–77 NBA season, Lucas led the Trail Blazers in scoring, minutes played, field goals, free throws, and offensive rebounds. The team qualified for their first trip to the playoffs that season, and Lucas and teammate Bill Walton led the Trail Blazers past the favored Los Angeles Lakers, sweeping them 4–0 in the Western Conference Finals, and a surprising come-from-behind 4–2 upset victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1977 NBA Finals. In that NBA Finals series, Lucas asserted his "enforcer" role in Game 2. He remained with Portland until 1980 when he was traded to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Calvin Natt. After a year with the Nets, Lucas was traded to the New York Knicks for Ray Williams. In 1982, he was dealt to the Phoenix Suns for Truck Robinson. In Phoenix, Lucas helped an injury-plagued Suns team reach the Western Conference Finals in 1984. Lucas signed with the Los Angeles Lakers following the 1985 season. After the Lakers lost the 1986 Western Conference Finals to the Houston Rockets, Lucas moved

Did You Know?

• Lucas was nicknamed 'the Enforcer' for his role on the court, exemplified in Game 2 of the 1977 NBA Finals.
• He organized celebrity sporting events to raise money for children's care at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
• Lucas volunteered as a mentor at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility.
• Luke Walton, son of Bill Walton, is named after Maurice Lucas.