‘Twas nearly 40 years ago when David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game made Sports Literature a viable commodity and the Bill Walton-led, Jack Ramsay-coached Portland TrailBlazers both story-book champions and tragic heroes – all in about 400 pages.
The “Arrival” of those Blazers coincided not only with the dissolution of a rival league – but also amidst the rising tide of player empowerment and Free Agency … their “Launch” was enhanced by the addition of a talented enforcer (the late Maurice Lucas) and some backcourt scrap-and-savvy (Dave Twardzik).
The heavy “Phavorites Phrom Philly” in those memorable 1977 Finals had likewise partaken of some “thirst-quenching” at the ABA Fountain – Dr.