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Twenty-five years ago, the Blazers were easy to root for A lot of Oregonians find it difficult to root for the Portland Trail Blazers these days. The lamentable antics of several players leave a bad impression in many people's minds. Did you notice the statistic that NBC flashed during one of the Blazer-Laker playoff games last week: Rasheed Wallace ranking first in the NBA in technical fouls, Bonzi Wells fourth and Scottie Pippen 11th. Lakers coach Phil Jackson came under some fire when he said, "I'm always surprised that Portland people can actually root for their players, given the type of character they display on the floor." It was a smug remark, but he's got a point. Next month will mark the 25th anniversary of the Blazers' only NBA title. Those who followed Portland on its magical ride to the title will tell you that the players from that team were vastly different than the ones from today. That team was easy to root for. It was an overachieving group that won only 49 regular-season games - the same win total registered by this season's Blazers - but jelled in the playoffs to beat a Laker team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the Western Conference finals and a Philadelphia 76ers team led by Julius Erving in the NBA Finals. The 1976-77 squad was headlined by Bill Walton, who might have been recognized as the greatest center ever had a series of crippling foot injuries not derailed his career. Walton, who was listed at 6-foot-11 only because he didn't want to be known as a 7-footer, did everything right fundamentally. His strengths were defense, rebounding and passing, but he was also a clutch shooter who averaged nearly 18 points per game that season. Four years earlier, he played the most brilliant game I've ever watched, sinking 21 of 22 shots from the field and scoring 44 points in leading UCLA to an 87-66 victory over Memphis State in the NCAA championship game. Flanking Walton in the Blazer frontcourt were power forward Maurice Lucas, an enforcer who had a knack for making big shots and big stops, and Bobby Gross, a second-year player whose constant backdoor cuts resulted in easy baskets. The backcourt consisted of Lionel Hollins, a second-year player from Arizona State who might have been the best athlete on the team, and David Twardzik, a small but fearless point guard nicknamed "Pinball" for the way he got knocked around in the paint. Swingman Larry Steele and center-forward Lloyd Neal, the only two players who had spent more than three seasons with the team, were blue-collar players that Blazer fans revered for their hard-nosed play. Guards Herm Gilliam and Johnny Davis, a rookie who took over for an injured Twardzik late in the season and held the starting job in the playoffs, were also major contributors. This Portland team wasn't as talented as either the Lakers or the 76ers that season, and few thought the Blazers would come back from their two games to none deficit against Philadelphia in the Finals. But the Blazers' work ethic and superb team play - masterminded by coach Jack Ramsay - enabled them to capture the title and the hearts of hoop fans across the state. Their final game, a 109-107 victory at Memorial Coliseum on June 5, 1977, was a microcosm of their season. All five starters were in double figures, led by the 24 points of Gross and the 20 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots of Walton. The following day, a staggering 250,000 people lined the sun-baked streets of Portland to hail their heroes during a victory parade. Some of the comments offered to a reporter last month bear repeating: From Ramsay: "The overall group of players and the attitude that everyone had. The way they played together and how well they got along. That was the basis for all of the accomplishments." From Walton: "The team became a close family, on and off the court. There was a spirit of togetherness, of teamwork, of sacrifice for the greater good. "And the fans, oh, the fans. I get chills thinking about it. It was a lovefest." From Gross: "On that team, there was no complaining, no bickering." From Steele: "The passing skills of the team were so good that it encouraged people to move without the ball." With so many young and talented players, a run of NBA titles seemed plausible. And the Blazers were well on their way to another one the following year when they won 50 of their first 60 games. They were clearly a better team in 1978 - more talented, more confident, more seasoned. They were clobbering good teams on the road. But Walton, who had battled injuries throughout his first four seasons in the NBA, went down with a season-ending foot injury in the 61st game. Neither he - nor the Blazers - have ever been the same. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.