Forty years ago Sunday, on Aug. 5, 1978, The Oregonian reported on a bombshell involving the Portland Trail Blazers and their oft-injured and increasingly aggrieved center, Bill Walton.
Walton wanted out of Portland. And the saga that followed continues to reverberate throughout Rip City to this day. (Those of us here at Rip City Project Headquarters would like to thank our friends @77Blazers for bringing this to our attention.)
The first paragraph of The Oregonian’s 1978 story — headlined “Pact breach opened way for Walton deal, agent says” — lays it out with clarity:
Bill Walton’s attorney/agent said Saturday that the Portland Trail Blazers are willing to accommodate the center’s trade demands because the club breached its contract with the league’s most valuable player.