Blazers' Forgotten NBA Finals Hero Finally Getting His Due Nearly 50 Years Later

Bob Gross scored 49 points in the final two games of the 1977 NBA Finals. He led the Portland Trail Blazers in scoring in both, helping deliver the franchise's first and only championship ... yet Bill Walton remains the name most fans associate with that team.

Nearly 50 years later, Gross is preparing for another well-deserved honor. The former Blazers forward will be inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame on November 10, giving Portland another opportunity to revisit one of its most overlooked championship performances.

In a recent interview with KGW, Gross reflected on his role during the title run.

"I didn't try to do too much," Gross said. "I did what was asked of me."

Apparently, that included saving some of his best basketball for the biggest games of his career.

Gross recalled that Portland's championship roster had seven new players and went roughly a month and a half without winning on the road early in the season. The Blazers weren't exactly an overnight success.

Gross averaged 11.4 points during the 1976-77 regular season, appearing in all 82 games. He was the only Portland player to accomplish that feat.

His production jumped to 17.3 points per game on 66.7% shooting against Philadelphia in the Finals.

And he was even better when the Blazers needed him most.

Gross scored 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Game 5, helping Portland take a 3-2 series lead. He followed with 24 points and eight rebounds in the championship-clinching 109-107 Game 6 victory.

Across those two games, Gross shot a ridiculous 22-of-29 from the field.

Former Blazers coach Jack Ramsay explained in an account preserved by the Oregon Historical Society how Gross exploited Julius Erving's reluctance to chase him around screens.

During Game 5, Ramsay called a late play that freed Gross for a 17-foot jumper off a Maurice Lucas screen. Gross made it, effectively putting the game away.

It was no accident that Portland kept finding him.

Gross' off-ball movement gave the Blazers another weapon against Philadelphia, and his defense helped him hold his own against Erving.

Walton deserved Finals MVP honors. His 20-point, 23-rebound performance in Game 6 speaks for itself.

But Gross wasn't exactly along for the ride.

Portland retired his No. 30 in 2008, although Gross admitted the recognition felt overdue.

"Felt like they left me out," Gross told KGW, recalling that several of his championship teammates had already received the honor.

It's understandable why he felt that way. His contributions were hardly insignificant, especially considering what he accomplished against Philadelphia.

Gross remains involved with the franchise as a team ambassador, and his November 10 induction is another recognition of what he accomplished.

An even bigger reunion is approaching.

The Blazers have scheduled their 50th anniversary championship celebration for March 13, 2027, against the Los Angeles Clippers. Gross told KGW he's looking forward to seeing his surviving teammates again.

Nearly 50 years later, Portland is still chasing its second championship. That alone should tell you how special the 1977 team was.

Walton will always get the headlines, and deservedly so. But Gross led the Blazers in scoring in the final two games of that series, delivering when the franchise needed him most.

His jersey has been hanging in the rafters since 2008. The Hall of Fame induction is another honor, but the case for Gross was settled long before either ceremony ... on the court, against Philadelphia, with a championship on the line.