The Ex-Marquette and ABA/NBA Great was as great to the game as he was to the game of life...... Maurice "Mo" Lucas

I remember it like yesterday when THE BLUEDUDE 's favorite NBA Team of all-time the 1976-77 PHILADELPHIA 76ers, led by one Juluis "DR. J" ERVING, was upset by a gritty, but well-coached small market NBA team the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERs.

Led By Head Coach Dr. JACK RAMSAY and two of the best Front Court Players to ever play in the league in Forward/Centers Bill "BIG RED" WALTON and Maurice " MO" LUCAS. That season in 1976-77 the Blazers upset the west favorite Lakers and then went onto get past the Talent laden but sometimes too talented SIXERS in 6 games to win the Championship.

I remember closely it wasn't that the Front line of the SIXERS were not better than the BLAZERS with the likes of GEORGE McGINNIS, DARRYL "CHOCOLATE THUNDER from the planet of LOVETRON" DAWKINS, CALDWELL JONES, JOE "JELLYBEAN" BRYANT (KOBE BRYANT of the LAKERS FATHER), and HARVEY CATCHINGS (The Father of UT KNOXVILLE ALL-AMERICAN and Current INDIANA FEVER ALL-WNBA Player TAMIKA CATCHINGS). The Sixers were absolutely loaded to a man but couldn't out muscle or hustle WALTON and MAURICE "MO" LUCAS.

Lucas, nicKnamed "THE ENFORCER", who played on the 1974 NCAA Final FOUR team of the MARQUETTE Warriors and coached by legend AL McGUIRE, was a force in the paint and the Leader of the BLAZERS that year. Drafted by both the ABA's Carolina Cougars and the NBA's CHicago Bulls he chose to play with the Cougars which subsequently turned into the SPIRIT of ST. LOUIS. MO went onto play in the ABA with the Kentucky COLONELS before the NBA/ABA Merger in which he was drafted by TRAILBLAZERS in 1976-77 Season, in which he joined forced with BIG RED to beat DOC and his SIXERS.

MO was also an even bigger impact off the court with his teammates and the community of PORTLAND. Wathing the BULLS vs BLAZERS Game the other night they interviewed Blazers Head Coach and Mo's Teammate in SEATTLE NATE McMILLAN and he said, " He remebers his rookie year when the veterans would haze and pick on the rookies and MO came to his defense because he didin't like people picking on the Rookies and he and I became friends for life after that".

BLAZERS Owner PAUL ALLEN had this to say about MO, " Maurice Lucas was an amazing man and I count myself lucky to have known Mo and his family", and ALLEN goes on to say, " We all- players, coaches, the owner, and the fans -were made better by having MO a part of our team, whether playing on a champioship team or being an assistant coach.....I'll miss him" QUOTE from the NATIONAL POST NEWSPAPER and sports.nationalpost.com.

That's who Mo was a " Light up the Room" first impression type of gentleman. The Blazers, the City of PORTLAND, and the NBA Family has lost a great one.....................R.I.P. MO LUCAS....YOU WILL BE MISSED FOREVER THE BLUEDUDE