15 stars you might have forgot played for the Los Angeles Lakers
By Amaar Burton
13. Maurice Lucas (1985-86)
Before men like Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber and Dirk Nowitzki came around to change how we view the power forward in basketball, men like Maurice Lucas defined the position.
Lucas was the quintessential tough guy for his era. He was nicknamed “The Enforcer.”
He had a solid jump shot, but will always be remembered for the rugged work he did in the paint and under the boards. And of course, there’s the classic photo of Lucas squaring up to fight Darryl Dawkins during the 1977 NBA Finals.
Forty-two years ago today. Portland v. Philadelphia.
— Steve Aschburner (@AschNBA) May 27, 2019
Maurice Lucas v. Darryl Dawkins. OMG. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/rgHktjXOeG
After starring in the ABA for two years, Lucas jumped to the NBA and helped the Portland Trail Blazers win their first and only championship. He was a three-time All-Star pick with the Blazers, averaging 15.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
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He was also a two-time All-Defensive Team pick and All-NBA Second Team in 1978. Lucas made his fourth All-Star appearance with the Phoenix Suns in 1983.
Lucas was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985, joining the defending champs in the middle of the “Showtime” era. He came off the bench, averaging 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds, the team’s fifth double-digit scorer behind Kareem, James Worthy, Magic Johnson and Byron Scott.
Since he put up decent numbers for a marquee franchise during a golden-age decade for NBA fans, why is Lucas’ run with L.A. forgettable?
Mostly because he happened to play for one of only two Lakers teams in the 1980s that didn’t make it to the NBA Finals. The ’85-86 squad featuring Lucas was eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. (The ’80-81 team was knocked out in the first round by Houston.)
After being waived by L.A., Lucas returned to the Pacific Northwest, finishing his career playing for the Seattle SuperSonics and for the Blazers one last time.
Maurice Lucas passed away in 2010.