/ STAFF WRITER
Luke Walton has watched the grainy game footage of the 1977 NBA Finals, been regaled with the story of his father, Bill Walton, losing his bicycle amid the chaos of the championship parade through downtown Portland.
Even though Luke Walton was named after a member of those 1977 Portland Trail Blazers – bruising power forward Maurice Lucas – the Lakers coach has little connection to the team with which his father won his first NBA championship. Luke was not born until 1980, during Bill’s first season with the San Diego Clippers.
Luke Walton will get a front-row seat later this month, when the Blazers honor the 40th anniversary of that championship season on Jan.