@@202One I would agree whole heartedly since I live in Portland and I watched that team very carefully in 1976-77 and remember Moses Malone playing for the Blazers in the preseason… How they could ever let a player that gifted go, is beyond imagining! I also agree that watching Bill Walton in this season was amazing. If you want to see how good Walton was look at the Western Conference finals with the Lakers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his prime. That duel was one for the ages and the blazer swept them even though they had the best record in the league.
I remember watching this as a 10 year old. I wanted the 76ers to win, since the Blazers beat my Lakers in the WCF. But wow this physical series turned in Game 3. That Portland team was something else. And they'd have gone back to back had Walton's foot not failed him the next season. They were 50-10 when he got hurt.
My uncle tended to a pretty major injury he had that year on a river in Oregon. Not sure if that was the one that caused him to miss out. My uncle was canoeing and ran across a group of guys who had an injured Walton. As a combat Green beret special forces medic in Vietnam he mended him up and went on his way. He never cared to follow sports and told me this tale in his very remote cabin in Alaska in 1994 because I was a huge blazers fan. "Big guy with red hair named Walton or something. I guess he played for them".
@@theodoreritola7641 I was just talking about that team this morning with my dad. My green beret special forces Uncle that I lived with in a very remote cabin in Alaska during the mid 90's told me that he tended to Walton's ankle on the Dechutes river. He was solo canoeing down it when he came across a rafting group who waved him over. "There was this big redhead guy who needed some help. So I put on a splint and went on my way." My uncle was a PA and a medic in the war. He had zero interest in sports. Lots of PTSD. My uncle was literally the guy who patched up Walton when he got hurt that season! That team had the worst stoke of luck with injuries in a short period of time. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. My kin came across the Oregon trail and founded the region. So I just felt like typing this out to share the tale. That 78' team was, as you say, probably the best ever. It's a damn shame what they did to my once beautiful city.
Julius had so much flair and grace on the court. He was so fun to watch play. He may not have been the best pro player of all time but he will always be my favorite player of all time.
Same for me, It all started at the Spectrum on a February night in 1977. Seeing the Doc lead the team out of the tunnel with the theme song playing in the background. It was magical. I was 13 yrs old.
Bill Walton had such class... Perfect post moves, sweet jumpshot, impeccable defence. For a couple years he was the best center in the league. Too bad most basketball fans remember him as a backup big for the Celtics.
Very all-rounded player, lowkey one of the best bigs of all time. If you could have every player at their peak and you named Walton as your 5, you wouldn't be crazy to do that, even with the other names still on there.
MAN, watching that all over again bring back such bitter sweet memories..I remember watching that live on tv back then, I was 13 at the time, and Dr J was ( and still is to this day ) my hero, my favorite basketball player.. I was so sad when McGinnis took that stupid looking one handed shot, which in a way I thought he should've made it...at the same time I was thinking ' GIVE IT TO DOC, GIVE IT TO DOC ..'...Never forgotten that day..
George McGinnis had a terrible series but he was having a good game. Dr J had 40 points. He tried to win it by himself. How did Gene Shue call that play for McGinnis?? He shot a one hand push. Still smh
As a 9 year old kid growing up in the inner city of (South)Memphis, I WILL NEVER EVER forget the 1977 Portland Trailblazers championship team! Prior to this, i didnt care about sports on TV. Didnt watch college or pro basketball. The 1st NBA game i remember watching on TV was Boston-Philly series in the Eastern conf. semis that same yr(and i only saw games 1 and 7). Didnt watch any of the Western conf games in any round. I literally stumbled onto the first 3 games of the championship series. Would come home from playing outside(kids played outside back then) and the game(s) would be on. Thanks to Brent Musberger and our local newspaper TV guide, i finally started keeping up with the games and from game 4 until the end, i was locked and tuned in on the TV. Games 5 and 6, i put everything aside to watch those games, pregame until the end(there was no post game back then). After game 6, and to this day(i'm 49 now), i'm a "diehard" basketball fan. I started playing b'ball when i was 6 but it was 1977(age 9) when i started watching on TV thanks to the Blazers. Show less
I started watching the sport about 4 years before. But yeah, I LOVED those Blazers and that beautiful ball movement and team play. Patient, smart, talented and resilient.
I grew up in Portland and was in High School during the series. You probably don't remember, but the NBA was not like it is now. I used to work at a grocery store near where a bunch of the Blazers lived and I carried their groceries out to their cars all the time. They would come into the store with their warmups on, everyone knew who they were and worshiped them, but left them alone for the most part. Can you imagine any of these guys doing their own shopping...... My mom drove us out to the airport when the Blazers came in after that game in Philly. There were thousands of people all over the airport waiting at 2:00AM for the plane to arrive. They got a hero's welcome. It was really special. At the end of the last game, they broke away to go to the Kemper Open golf tournament because the game ran long, and they didn't even show the locker room celebration or the trophy presentation. I can't even imagine that now......at the parade, someone "stole" Big Bill's bike, but it ended up being returned to him. What most people don't remember is that the next year, the Blazers went 50-10 before Bill got hurt. They were even more dominant in that year than the year before. They were an unbelievable team to watch.
I was there in the last scene as a boy. Broadway Street was a party. Back when Portland wasn't an absolute embarrassment to the country. At least we old schoolers have this memory. Thanks for making the video.
Even today most of a teams points come from close to the basket, the 3 pointer is a low percentage shot and if your not steph curry or ray allen, its better to take a few steps in and shoot.
Amen, Joe. Sure, there are exceptions. Ray and Steph are 2 of those. Same for Reggie Miller and Mark Price before they. But for most guys, it is a bit out of their true comfort range. Thus, you see teams going 7 for 30 one night, then 16 for 28 the next.
My first year following the NBA and my 76ers. A heartbreaking loss to Portland but I also appreciate the team effort by the Blazers to fight there way back for the title. The one thing I believe Julius was missing was the competitive nature to get teammates settled and holding the players accountable for doing their job at hand. They were very talented but just couldn’t get it together. Bill Walton was a huge factor as well. One of the All Time best in the paint hands down. Thanks for posting this video.
Austin Full most exciting most exciting basketball player ever ever not the best most exciting more exciting than Connie Hawkins Elgin Baylor Michael Jordan Vince Carter LeBron James Darryl Dawkins Dominique Wilkins or anyone else who has won the Slam Dunk Contest
It was the 76ers high octane, experimental and extravagant style of play filled to the brim with talent that ultimately succumbed to the old guard of traditional team play from Bill Walton and the Trail Blazers.
I would argue the 77 Blazers were possibly the best fast breaking team of all time. Certainly they could light it up from the defensive boards when Walton or Lucas got one clean.
Erving was the first great soaring above the rim, acrobatic, finishing dunk monster of all of the many greats, which included passing and shooting. Doing his Hendrix imma too...
The NBA on CBS.This was a gut wrenching loss for me being a Sixer fan back then.My boys were up 2-0 and then Bill and the Blazers opened up a can of whip ass on my boys.
I went down town on my Harley, and it was 100% SHEER grid lock ALL day every street, absolutely couldn't move all day anywhere. Rode on sidewalks to escape the craziness. Will say this, Dr "J" was spectacular . that guy made the team!!!
Before Jordan there was the Doctor. People give Kobe flak for modeling his game after MJ but nobody calls out Jordan for emulating Dr.J's style as much! There's nothing new under the Sun.
I think Pippen was more like Dr J than Mike. Mike was more of a true guard. A jump shooter who also went to the hoop, but had a million moves if he needed. Scottie was more of a fastbreak wingman like Dr J. Though Doc had more of a scoring mentality than Pip.
That pre-injury Bill Walton was legit dominant and really help the team to won a championship... I feel bad for the rest of his career since then. What if Sam Bowie never injured as well ? I believe Bowie and Drexler would've had carry the Blazers much further in the playoffs then !
Blazers had Moses Malone but they let him go. Very dumb. Moses could have been there when Walton went down the following season. I remember thinking at the time, you dont trade a guy like that away.
If the sixers had a back office and a coach to manage the egos and mcginnis,world didnt totally flop the series they wouldnt be champions...most likely they would have been out in 4 or 5..
Most underrated basketball player of all time. IMO he is the GOAT. If you dont agree, you cant disagree whe is GOAT Dunker of all time. NBA wouldn't be the NBA if it wasn't for the doctor rescuing the whole league after ABA merger. The man who brought the street style to the conventional game. The man who filled every space sitting and standing where ever he played. A man to carry so much class, elegance and humility is easily overlooked by many. Especially the new generation. Just ask MJ who he models his style and flare on. And of course no one sported the Fro better than The Doctor.
Watching the Doctor slam em down makes all the world's problems go away. Walton always hitting the open man with a perfect pass or protecting the rim. Thanx for posting!
And he didn't mind doing it. Contrast that to guys who could pass, but seemed to do so almost in disdain or out of necessity. Free, McGinnis, later Iverson.
I'm really tired of hearing "Dame doesn't belong in the top 75." Have they looked at his stats? The highlights? Do they realize it was he and CJ that kept Portland a solid, competitive team for several years? He has been an outstanding combo G for years. He has Kobe, Pistol Pete like numbers. Facts.
Sixers let it slip away. Philly fans were so jacked up for a championship with it being Doc's first year with the team. Fans were thinking dynasty. But you got to give credit to the Trailblazers..they saw opportunity, took full advantage of it and took the Championship. Great team.
with pace, intensity, movement and passion instead of being a 3pt shooting contest. Lots of reasons for the demise of the NBA. 1. expansion 2. rule changes 3.culture changes 4. expansion.
Definition of a dream season. Portland had never made the the playoffs, swept the Lakers in the Conference Finals and overcame an 0-2 deficit to win it all
The truth is so different though..Mcginnis wanted first option all year long..managment was ssking doc to score 20 on less fga to make mcginnis happy,Bfree was play or trade me all seson long ans 20 year old Dawkins was in the same mind set and then they completely flopped the finals shooting below .4 while Dawkins shot .44 whitch is dreadfull for a center..
@@andreaspapadakis2602 it took Philly a few yrs, but they corrected the ego problem(s) when McGinnis and Free were shipped out a couple yrs later. Essentially replaced by Cheeks & Bobby Jones, 2 talented and team oriented players who didn't care who got the glory.
The Doctor! Spectacular performance. They would have won had McGinnis showed up in games 1-5. Only in game 6 did he perform. It's incredible to view how dominant Dr. J was in all facets of the game during that series. He dunked over Walton and grabbed rebounds over players much bigger than him. I still remember that series and I still think they would have won had McGinnis showed up and not been man-handled by Maurice Lucas.
True Big Mac played like garbage that series but the series turned on one play, when Lucas punched Dawkins in the back of head. THAT moment changed the tone of the series, the Blazers unified and the 76ers splintered and Mcginnis just did play real shitty outside of game 6. The Blazers won fair and square, it was an awesome series that I watched as it happened and I cried my fuckin heart out since I was a Dr. J loving 76er fan. I was on Broad street for the parade celebrating and in Veterans stadium in 1983 , took a while but we got one.
kladpapier the 3 point line wasnt introduced to the NBA until 1978. This is 1977 so maybe that faint line was something else. Maybe an old ABA marking.
the pivotal moment that turned the tide of the series. That moment unified the Blazers and splintered the 76ers, it changed the momentum. I watched it ALL as it happened, the Blazers played great team ball and Mcginnis played like garbage, that is why Portland won but it all turned after that fight.
these great clips left out THE pivotal moment that changed the whole series, when Lucas punched Dawkins in the back of the head it emboldened, unified the Blazers and fractured the 76ers, the momentum changed, the series went to Portland and Philly never recovered, I watched it all as it happened, broke my fuckin heart, Mcginnis came up short, Doc played shitty D on Bobby Gross, the Philly bench played weak and Ramsey outcoached Shue.
Blazers wouldn't have beaten Philly without Maurice Lucas. "Luke" called Dawkin's bluff in game 2. After that, the Blazers ran the table winning 4 straight.
Dr. J showed out and was sensational!! Bill Walton was spectacular before his numerous injuries. Portland upset Philly in this series. Sixers on paper were the better team! Notice that in 1977, there was no three point line! The game has really changed!
Dr J's highlights from that series are spectacular and the Sixers had more overall talent than the Blazers. But basketball is a team sport and the Walton led Blazers were a great TEAM and played together as a unit. Walton was in his prime and despite the highlights of Dr J dunking on him, Walton was so great and combined high level defense, rebounding, scoring, and passing to lead his team to the chip. If not for injuries, I'm sure Walton would be mentioned with the greatest centers of all time, that's how good he was.
Coaching?? After game 2, Dr Jack Ramsay made adjustments and Gene Shue didn't. That was the difference in the series. Games 2-5 George McGinnis disappeared
McGinnis,Bibbi and World BFree all shot below .4 for the series..Doc averaged 30 with .54 shooting..there was anarticle in WP explaining why the Sixers couldnt be champions in such toxic locker room ,way before the finals, where everyone wantedd to be the superstar first option and get more play time and the coach was jelly incompetent to take the egos and make a team..Doc was really unlucky landing on the sixers..he deserved this ring and a better team around him,a better back office that could understand how to build ateam around the best player of the league and a coach who could coach..
The Sixers have been more or less the same ever since, with exception of that great 1983 title run with Moses Malone. Since then Barkley, Iverson, Embiid....all great players trapped in a dysfunctional organization as 76ers.
Yes, this series in particular would be talked about forever. I am Lakers fan and Kareem fan and got doors blown in sweep away by Blazers. Doc was coming off his ABA Championship year prior and was up 2-0 in this series. It had to hurt. For Bill Walton in playoffs to beat a Prime Artist Gilmore, (ex ABA player of of Kentucky Colonels) Chicago Bulls, David Skywalker Thompson of ABA Championship runners up year before Denver Nuggets, Kareem of Lakers then a prime Doctor J in 77 playoffs? Respect begrudgingly..lol. Gotta put this Blazers team up there with top 10 champs last 50 years.
The 1976-1977 were arguably Dr. J's greatest years in the NBA and the prime of his career. He was beginning to put on more muscle and was more intelligent as a playmaker and midrange scorer, while retaining his athleticism and finishing from his ABA days.
Julius " Dr. J " Erving was so magnificent! He did everything humanly possible on court. It's just too bad the NBA Championship is not a Best of 3 series.
Dr. J's athleticism and body control going for those dunks is so magical. A healthy Bill Walton is a beautiful thing to watch.
Amazing Finals! 👍
@@202One I would agree whole heartedly since I live in Portland and I watched that team very carefully in 1976-77 and remember Moses Malone playing for the Blazers in the preseason… How they could ever let a player that gifted go, is beyond imagining! I also agree that watching Bill Walton in this season was amazing. If you want to see how good Walton was look at the Western Conference finals with the Lakers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his prime. That duel was one for the ages and the blazer swept them even though they had the best record in the league.
@@philippesauvie639 really : wow bill walton be prime age jabber ; bill walton show jabber a basket clinic
Exactly
@@lloydkline1518 sweep Kareem
R.I.P. Bill Walton, Rip City sports hero
I remember watching this as a 10 year old. I wanted the 76ers to win, since the Blazers beat my Lakers in the WCF. But wow this physical series turned in Game 3. That Portland team was something else. And they'd have gone back to back had Walton's foot not failed him the next season. They were 50-10 when he got hurt.
Man i love these facts
50-10? wow
My uncle tended to a pretty major injury he had that year on a river in Oregon. Not sure if that was the one that caused him to miss out.
My uncle was canoeing and ran across a group of guys who had an injured Walton. As a combat Green beret special forces medic in Vietnam he mended him up and went on his way.
He never cared to follow sports and told me this tale in his very remote cabin in Alaska in 1994 because I was a huge blazers fan. "Big guy with red hair named Walton or something. I guess he played for them".
I WOULD PUT THE 78 BLAZERS UP AGAINST ONE TEAM EVER IF WALTON HAD STAYED HEALTHTY
@@theodoreritola7641 I was just talking about that team this morning with my dad.
My green beret special forces Uncle that I lived with in a very remote cabin in Alaska during the mid 90's told me that he tended to Walton's ankle on the Dechutes river. He was solo canoeing down it when he came across a rafting group who waved him over. "There was this big redhead guy who needed some help. So I put on a splint and went on my way."
My uncle was a PA and a medic in the war. He had zero interest in sports. Lots of PTSD. My uncle was literally the guy who patched up Walton when he got hurt that season!
That team had the worst stoke of luck with injuries in a short period of time.
I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. My kin came across the Oregon trail and founded the region. So I just felt like typing this out to share the tale.
That 78' team was, as you say, probably the best ever. It's a damn shame what they did to my once beautiful city.
Julius Erving gave me my love of Basketball, i was a 9 year old little kid during this time and Dr J was it for me
Love dr.j fancy moves toward the basket, moonwalk for the dunk on the basket
Julius had so much flair and grace on the court. He was so fun to watch play. He may not have been the best pro player of all time but he will always be my favorite player of all time.
Same here.
dr j was my hero as well
Same for me, It all started at the Spectrum on a February night in 1977. Seeing the Doc lead the team out of the tunnel with the theme song playing in the background. It was magical. I was 13 yrs old.
RIP Bill Walton
Bill Walton had such class... Perfect post moves, sweet jumpshot, impeccable defence. For a couple years he was the best center in the league. Too bad most basketball fans remember him as a backup big for the Celtics.
Very all-rounded player, lowkey one of the best bigs of all time. If you could have every player at their peak and you named Walton as your 5, you wouldn't be crazy to do that, even with the other names still on there.
Which couple of years was that as long as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was playing Bill Walton was never better than him.
De Re he led his blazers in a sweep of Kareem’s Lakers before winning a championship and being Finals mvp
He would've only gotten better if stayed healthy, look how dominant he could be in 86, only playing half the game
Great Passer too. Top 20 NBA Player
MAN, watching that all over again bring back such bitter sweet memories..I remember watching that live on tv back then, I was 13 at the time, and Dr J was ( and still is to this day ) my hero, my favorite basketball player.. I was so sad when McGinnis took that stupid looking one handed shot, which in a way I thought he should've made it...at the same time I was thinking ' GIVE IT TO DOC, GIVE IT TO DOC ..'...Never forgotten that day..
George McGinnis had a terrible series but he was having a good game. Dr J had 40 points. He tried to win it by himself. How did Gene Shue call that play for McGinnis?? He shot a one hand push. Still smh
As a 9 year old kid growing up in the inner city of (South)Memphis, I WILL NEVER EVER forget the 1977 Portland Trailblazers championship team! Prior to this, i didnt care about sports on TV. Didnt watch college or pro basketball. The 1st NBA game i remember watching on TV was Boston-Philly series in the Eastern conf. semis that same yr(and i only saw games 1 and 7). Didnt watch any of the Western conf games in any round. I literally stumbled onto the first 3 games of the championship series. Would come home from playing outside(kids played outside back then) and the game(s) would be on. Thanks to Brent Musberger and our local newspaper TV guide, i finally started keeping up with the games and from game 4 until the end, i was locked and tuned in on the TV. Games 5 and 6, i put everything aside to watch those games, pregame until the end(there was no post game back then). After game 6, and to this day(i'm 49 now), i'm a "diehard" basketball fan. I started playing b'ball when i was 6 but it was 1977(age 9) when i started watching on TV thanks to the Blazers.
Show less
I started watching the sport about 4 years before. But yeah, I LOVED those Blazers and that beautiful ball movement and team play. Patient, smart, talented and resilient.
I grew up in Portland and was in High School during the series. You probably don't remember, but the NBA was not like it is now. I used to work at a grocery store near where a bunch of the Blazers lived and I carried their groceries out to their cars all the time. They would come into the store with their warmups on, everyone knew who they were and worshiped them, but left them alone for the most part. Can you imagine any of these guys doing their own shopping...... My mom drove us out to the airport when the Blazers came in after that game in Philly. There were thousands of people all over the airport waiting at 2:00AM for the plane to arrive. They got a hero's welcome. It was really special. At the end of the last game, they broke away to go to the Kemper Open golf tournament because the game ran long, and they didn't even show the locker room celebration or the trophy presentation. I can't even imagine that now......at the parade, someone "stole" Big Bill's bike, but it ended up being returned to him. What most people don't remember is that the next year, the Blazers went 50-10 before Bill got hurt. They were even more dominant in that year than the year before. They were an unbelievable team to watch.
@@tednottodd I'm still pissed about that cut to the damn Kemper Open!!
Great story.
Do you still follow the blazers as your team? Or do you follow another team? Great story by the way
I was there in the last scene as a boy. Broadway Street was a party. Back when Portland wasn't an absolute embarrassment to the country.
At least we old schoolers have this memory. Thanks for making the video.
Its crazy that they can score more than a hundred even though 3 point line is non existent in Dr J's era
Everybody had a mid range jumper
Even today most of a teams points come from close to the basket, the 3 pointer is a low percentage shot and if your not steph curry or ray allen, its better to take a few steps in and shoot.
Miguel Bayani they had to wait until 1980 for the three-point line
Amen, Joe. Sure, there are exceptions. Ray and Steph are 2 of those. Same for Reggie Miller and Mark Price before they. But for most guys, it is a bit out of their true comfort range. Thus, you see teams going 7 for 30 one night, then 16 for 28 the next.
not really, Dr.J came from the ABA where there was a 3 point line.
My first year following the NBA and my 76ers. A heartbreaking loss to Portland but I also appreciate the team effort by the Blazers to fight there way back for the title. The one thing I believe Julius was missing was the competitive nature to get teammates settled and holding the players accountable for doing their job at hand. They were very talented but just couldn’t get it together. Bill Walton was a huge factor as well. One of the All Time best in the paint hands down. Thanks for posting this video.
The bright side is that Portland got its first title here, and haven’t won since.
45 years and counting.
Walton was an incredible player who made his teammates better by making the Blazers, a better TEAM.
Dr J and Kareem were both in their prime , Walton was a beast when He wasn’t injured !
Exactly
Dr. J is way ahead of his time.
Austin Full most exciting most exciting basketball player ever ever not the best most exciting more exciting than Connie Hawkins Elgin Baylor Michael Jordan Vince Carter LeBron James Darryl Dawkins Dominique Wilkins or anyone else who has won the Slam Dunk Contest
Dr.j original airwalker t❤ him
true even to this day
Doctor J. was dope as hell.
The Godfather of slam dunking Doctor J. is the Best!!🏀👟👨🏾🦱👨🏾⚕️
It was the 76ers high octane, experimental and extravagant style of play filled to the brim with talent that ultimately succumbed to the old guard of traditional team play from Bill Walton and the Trail Blazers.
I would argue the 77 Blazers were possibly the best fast breaking team of all time. Certainly they could light it up from the defensive boards when Walton or Lucas got one clean.
Organized ball beat Street ball. If they matchup at the playground the 76ers sweep them. Philadelphia played foolish. Give Portland credit
Erving was the first great soaring above the rim, acrobatic, finishing dunk monster of all of the many greats, which included passing and shooting. Doing his Hendrix imma too...
Dr.J is fire 🔥 🔥
Hard to believe it's been 40 years since these teams faced off the NBA Finals!!!
And the last and only time the Blazers won it all :(
Time flies like Dr.J
good graphics for 77
Stayicey 2k my brother is a hornets fan
J Bidlow that’s REALLY random
its better than some of 2000s videos lol
The NBA on CBS.This was a gut wrenching loss for me being a Sixer fan back then.My boys were up 2-0 and then Bill and the Blazers opened up a can of whip ass on my boys.
We got snubbed in 1977 in terms of highlights at halftime and we are still getting snubbed 40 years later. (Blazer fan)
Incredible series. Dr. Jack leading the way as coach of a true team in the Blazers. And the high flying 76ers.
I went down town on my Harley, and it was 100% SHEER grid lock ALL day every street, absolutely couldn't move all day anywhere. Rode on sidewalks to escape the craziness.
Will say this, Dr "J" was spectacular . that guy made the team!!!
Before Jordan there was the Doctor. People give Kobe flak for modeling his game after MJ but nobody calls out Jordan for emulating Dr.J's style as much! There's nothing new under the Sun.
Chilanta because we didn't criticize when Jordan was playing
I think Pippen was more like Dr J than Mike. Mike was more of a true guard. A jump shooter who also went to the hoop, but had a million moves if he needed. Scottie was more of a fastbreak wingman like Dr J. Though Doc had more of a scoring mentality than Pip.
I would say that Jordan was more a 2.0 David Thompson, who was his true hero
@@JulioLeonFandinho If you watch Walter Davis play MJ took a little dab of his game as well David Thompson and Doc.
@@JulioLeonFandinho Beat me to it. He was absolutely more of a clean and sober David "Skywalker" Thompson.
This footage and video editing is awesome! Great job!
This could also be called dr j highlights just saying
That pre-injury Bill Walton was legit dominant and really help the team to won a championship... I feel bad for the rest of his career since then. What if Sam Bowie never injured as well ? I believe Bowie and Drexler would've had carry the Blazers much further in the playoffs then !
Blazers had Moses Malone but they let him go. Very dumb. Moses could have been there when Walton went down the following season. I remember thinking at the time, you dont trade a guy like that away.
Twardzic, Hollins, Gross, Lucas, and Walton... the best underrated Champs ever...
If the sixers had a back office and a coach to manage the egos and mcginnis,world didnt totally flop the series they wouldnt be champions...most likely they would have been out in 4 or 5..
Watched the series at 10:30 pm… on replay
An absolute joy to watch. This Blazers team. Much like the fairly recent Spurs teams
In the words of trailblazers GOAT Bill Walton "throw it down big man..."
Dr. J's speed is so deceptive. Wow
Most underrated basketball player of all time. IMO he is the GOAT. If you dont agree, you cant disagree whe is GOAT Dunker of all time.
NBA wouldn't be the NBA if it wasn't for the doctor rescuing the whole league after ABA merger. The man who brought the street style to the conventional game. The man who filled every space sitting and standing where ever he played.
A man to carry so much class, elegance and humility is easily overlooked by many. Especially the new generation. Just ask MJ who he models his style and flare on.
And of course no one sported the Fro better than The Doctor.
No one will ever be cool as The Doctor
Watching the Doctor slam em down makes all the world's problems go away. Walton always hitting the open man with a perfect pass or protecting the rim. Thanx for posting!
Walton, part of that Wooden juggernaut. Amazing to see.
Doc's passing was always way underrated.
I didn't know he died.
RIP
@@twitherspoon8954 he meant passing the ball. I'm sure you were kidding though
@@twitherspoon8954 🤣🤣
And he didn't mind doing it. Contrast that to guys who could pass, but seemed to do so almost in disdain or out of necessity. Free, McGinnis, later Iverson.
I really wish dame gets a championship like the legendary bill Walton
I'm really tired of hearing "Dame doesn't belong in the top 75." Have they looked at his stats? The highlights? Do they realize it was he and CJ that kept Portland a solid, competitive team for several years?
He has been an outstanding combo G for years. He has Kobe, Pistol Pete like numbers. Facts.
Those two teams played so incredibly in this series that I think they could even give modern NBA teams a game.
No question. Especially without the 3 point line. Many NBA teams today would be lost.
@@AndyZachand play with these rules. These teams will break the bigger faster stronger bodies of today's NBA players.
It's nice that Walton won one as ' the Man' and as a 6th man.
Walton n Doc were amazing. What a dynasty the blazers could have had.
That Phila team was raw too boy, it was really something that Blazers worked them the wayy they did. They had no answer for Big Bill!!
Dr. J was phenomenal
Sixers let it slip away. Philly fans were so jacked up for a championship with it being Doc's first year with the team. Fans were thinking dynasty. But you got to give credit to the Trailblazers..they saw opportunity, took full advantage of it and took the Championship. Great team.
Jones,Julius,McGinnis...Walton,Lucas
nothing but Legends this series
Of the times the Sixers lost in the Finals in my teen years this one hurt the most as they had a 2-0 series lead.
77 RIP CiTy Blazers were amazing!!!
Why to McGinnis? Never understood that. Dr. J was playing in God Mode that series and they go to George.
Them hairstyles. 😄
It's called style something that's non existent in today's world.
@@joemartin1253 Yes they still exist many are just modified and trends go by and as of now being a mushroom head is a trend for teenager boys
Rip bill, thank you for our one and only chip❤️
How basketball was played before the 3 point shot took over.
with pace, intensity, movement and passion instead of being a 3pt shooting contest. Lots of reasons for the demise of the NBA. 1. expansion 2. rule changes 3.culture changes 4. expansion.
Definition of a dream season. Portland had never made the the playoffs, swept the Lakers in the Conference Finals and overcame an 0-2 deficit to win it all
But unfortunately, haven’t gotten another title since :(
I was 9 yrs old when I watched this series. Great memories
Heavy favorites and up 2-0, this one has to sting for the Doc. Walton's finest hour as a pro.
The truth is so different though..Mcginnis wanted first option all year long..managment was ssking doc to score 20 on less fga to make mcginnis happy,Bfree was play or trade me all seson long ans 20 year old Dawkins was in the same mind set and then they completely flopped the finals shooting below .4 while Dawkins shot .44 whitch is dreadfull for a center..
@@andreaspapadakis2602 it took Philly a few yrs, but they corrected the ego problem(s) when McGinnis and Free were shipped out a couple yrs later. Essentially replaced by Cheeks
& Bobby Jones, 2 talented and team oriented players who didn't care who got the glory.
I’m glad though that Portland has a title, as they haven’t gotten another since.
45 years and counting
Walton reminded me of Jokic when he was at this stage of his career
Doctor J no sera el mejor jugador de la historia, pero sin duda es el que mas me ha emocionado en mi vida...Doctor J Forever!!!!!
para siempre
If Bill didn't have foot problems the NBA would have been his. Walton was one of the most athletic big men ever to play the game when he was healthy.
Back when Trust The Process is not needed for motivation
Arnold Jeremy I know but we lost that year so the following year the slogan was we owe you one
The Doctor! Spectacular performance. They would have won had McGinnis showed up in games 1-5. Only in game 6 did he perform. It's incredible to view how dominant Dr. J was in all facets of the game during that series. He dunked over Walton and grabbed rebounds over players much bigger than him. I still remember that series and I still think they would have won had McGinnis showed up and not been man-handled by Maurice Lucas.
Game 6 he showed I guess, but he missed the game winner at the end. So not so much of a factor.
True Big Mac played like garbage that series but the series turned on one play, when Lucas punched Dawkins in the back of head. THAT moment changed the tone of the series, the Blazers unified and the 76ers splintered and Mcginnis just did play real shitty outside of game 6. The Blazers won fair and square, it was an awesome series that I watched as it happened and I cried my fuckin heart out since I was a Dr. J loving 76er fan. I was on Broad street for the parade celebrating and in Veterans stadium in 1983 , took a while but we got one.
McGinnis was nursing a pretty bad groin injury.
Much Gratitude
45 years later, Blazers are still waiting for another title :(
Blazers are wasting damian lillard bro
It's weird not seeing a 3pt line XD
kladpapier or a paint
kladpapier theirs a three point line but it is hard to see and they never really used it in this time of the nba
Hey you're right, on closer inspection I see it. It's really hard to see.
Because 3pt was a ABA thing, right? Then the NBA continued it.
kladpapier the 3 point line wasnt introduced to the NBA until 1978. This is 1977 so maybe that faint line was something else. Maybe an old ABA marking.
kladpapier it was an ABA thing but the NBA introduced it in the 1979/80 season. There isn’t a three point line in this game.
you didnt include THE fight? how could you NOT include THE FIGHT when taking a LOOK BACK at the 1977 Finals?!
the pivotal moment that turned the tide of the series. That moment unified the Blazers and splintered the 76ers, it changed the momentum. I watched it ALL as it happened, the Blazers played great team ball and Mcginnis played like garbage, that is why Portland won but it all turned after that fight.
Dawkins & Maurice Lucas looking like Fred & Grady on Sanford and Son
1976 Portland Trail Blazers are the greatest team in NBA history Bill Walton was named MVP NBA finals the Abraham Lincoln beard
these great clips left out THE pivotal moment that changed the whole series, when Lucas punched Dawkins in the back of the head it emboldened, unified the Blazers and fractured the 76ers, the momentum changed, the series went to Portland and Philly never recovered, I watched it all as it happened, broke my fuckin heart, Mcginnis came up short, Doc played shitty D on Bobby Gross, the Philly bench played weak and Ramsey outcoached Shue.
quality stuff
Bill Walton was a fucking G
Blazers wouldn't have beaten Philly without Maurice Lucas. "Luke" called Dawkin's bluff in game 2. After that, the Blazers ran the table winning 4 straight.
It was really warm June day and Coach Jack was seeing swimming in the lake behind his house, Lake Oswego
Dr. J showed out and was sensational!! Bill Walton was spectacular before his numerous injuries. Portland upset Philly in this series. Sixers on paper were the better team! Notice that in 1977, there was no three point line! The game has really changed!
I remember this series like it was yesterday dang sixers..
I was watching this from Beaverton Oregon but I forgot how good Julius was
4:30 Where LeBron got his inspiration.
if only we had Roy still
Anthony Pasxon Brandon Roy was always overrated.
The worst coaching ever from the 76ers coach after the 2-0 start.
He looked like a Jimi Hendrix with a basketball.
Dr J's highlights from that series are spectacular and the Sixers had more overall talent than the Blazers. But basketball is a team sport and the Walton led Blazers were a great TEAM and played together as a unit. Walton was in his prime and despite the highlights of Dr J dunking on him, Walton was so great and combined high level defense, rebounding, scoring, and passing to lead his team to the chip. If not for injuries, I'm sure Walton would be mentioned with the greatest centers of all time, that's how good he was.
Yeah Dr J got a couple dunks on Walton, but they didn't show the 3 Walton BLOCKS on the doc. Including a clutch one late in the game.
@@marktrail8624 Exactly. Walton was the best player in that series and Portland was the better team.
Coaching?? After game 2, Dr Jack Ramsay made adjustments and Gene Shue didn't. That was the difference in the series. Games 2-5 George McGinnis disappeared
Sixers had greater individual talent. Collectively, Portland was their equal and certainly maximized it better.
Насколько же крут доктор Джей!!! Его проходы в лицевую просто гениальны и даже сегодня смотрятся великолепно!
I thought the sixers had a better all around team but they had no answer for Walton
what a game
McGinnis,Bibbi and World BFree all shot below .4 for the series..Doc averaged 30 with .54 shooting..there was anarticle in WP explaining why the Sixers couldnt be champions in such toxic locker room ,way before the finals, where everyone wantedd to be the superstar first option and get more play time and the coach was jelly incompetent to take the egos and make a team..Doc was really unlucky landing on the sixers..he deserved this ring and a better team around him,a better back office that could understand how to build ateam around the best player of the league and a coach who could coach..
Yes, but on the other hand, the Blazers beat them, the 6ers did not lay down, lower shooting percentage comes from good D and antimidation.
The Sixers have been more or less the same ever since, with exception of that great 1983 title run with Moses Malone. Since then Barkley, Iverson, Embiid....all great players trapped in a dysfunctional organization as 76ers.
Jack Ramsey looks like Hector Salamanca.
Great video..do you have other yrs?
Walton woofed on Doc😂😂😂
The year my father was born!!!!
I hated when Portland and bill Walton came from 2 games down to beat us in the championship in 1977
THAT WAS REAL NBA!!!!!!!!
Yes, this series in particular would be talked about forever. I am Lakers fan and Kareem fan and got doors blown in sweep away by Blazers. Doc was coming off his ABA Championship year prior and was up 2-0 in this series. It had to hurt. For Bill Walton in playoffs to beat a Prime Artist Gilmore, (ex ABA player of of Kentucky Colonels) Chicago Bulls, David Skywalker Thompson of ABA Championship runners up year before Denver Nuggets, Kareem of Lakers then a prime Doctor J in 77 playoffs? Respect begrudgingly..lol. Gotta put this Blazers team up there with top 10 champs last 50 years.
walton was good in that final
We used to draw 3-point lines in the playground.
100 plus points in a game without a 3 point line..need to bring that back.
maurice lucas predicted the championship !
The 1976-1977 were arguably Dr. J's greatest years in the NBA and the prime of his career. He was beginning to put on more muscle and was more intelligent as a playmaker and midrange scorer, while retaining his athleticism and finishing from his ABA days.
I dig the 16mm bits. Absolutely detest the fullscreen
Julius " Dr. J " Erving was so magnificent! He did everything humanly possible on court.
It's just too bad the NBA Championship is not a Best of 3 series.
He is Unstopable!!! Doctor J. 🏀👊🏾👊🏾
Was there, Bhs '77
76ers had the the greatest unis ever. I was 11 and heart broken when the Sixers lost 4 in a row to Portland.
The 1977 Finals was a good series...
RiP to one of the greatest Bill Walton.
Who here after Jokic and the Nuggets won the title this year?
Walton and this Blazers team remind me of them.
It looks so weird with those shorts and jerseys
Looks better in my opinion. The short shorts were a lot lighter to run around in too, compared to the poodle skirts they have now.
Those hair tho.
It was The DOCTOR VS 5
the greatest pump fake ever 3:16 and at 5:04 watch the ref call the foul