HoopsHype.com Rumors

Eddie Johnson: Maurice Lucas was a Physical player on the court, but a tremendous individual off. I admired him tremendously. God just received a great one Twitter

Maurice Lucas 

Eddie Johnson: I asked Lucas did he script his confrontations at times against certain players, he laughed and said of course. He never avoided the truth! Twitter

Maurice Lucas 

Eddie Johnson: if you ever watch film of Lucas confrontations a teammate was always near by to step in. Violence was never his intention. Twitter

Maurice Lucas 

Maurice Lucas, the fierce power forward known as "The Enforcer" who helped lead the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA title, has died after a long fight with bladder cancer. He was 58. Lucas, who in later years was an assistant coach with the Blazers, died Sunday at his home in Portland, the team said. Lucas joined Portland in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft and averaged a team-high 20.2 points and grabbbed 11.2 rebounds per game in the 1976-77 championship season. His No. 20 was retired by the Blazers in 1988. At public appearances, fans often greeted Lucas with cries of "Luuuuuuke!" His competitive demeanor on the court was in contrast to his gentle nature off it. "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." ESPN.com

Maurice Lucas