Greg Ballard, a member of the 1977-78 Washington Bullets squad that won the franchise’s only NBA championship, died Wednesday after a battle with prostate cancer at the age of 61.
The Bullets selected Ballard with the fourth overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and he paid immediate dividends for the team in his rookie season. He averaged 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game his rookie season, and delivered when the team needed him in the NBA Finals, particularly in Game 6. He came off the bench and helped spur a run in the second quarter that helped the Bullets pull out to a big lead.