Voir ESPN Films: 30 for 30, Vol. 5 - Episode 16

Walton reminisces about the glory days of the Blazers – recapping his battles with Houston’s Artis Gilmore and teaming up with the tough-minded Maurice Lucas to form a formidable frontcourt. He visits Lucas’s widow and grows sentimental when he reflects on their friendship. Through the nostalgia of the past, we revisit the Blazers’ magical 1977 playoff run – a testy series with the Bulls, a dispatching of Denver, and a showdown with the Lakers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Walton outplays Kareem, punctuating the series with an emphatic slam over the Captain as Portland wins the Western Conference; Blazermania takes over Portland. Walton gets a haircut before an epic Finals slugfest against Philadelphia. Dr. J and the 76ers take the first two before Portland fights back to win four straight and claim its first title. Walton rips his jersey off in the jubilant celebration, and the city erupts in what Walton calls “a dream come true.” They get off to an even better start the following season, running their record to 50-10 before injury strikes down Walton again. His foot pain only growing, Walton’s time in the Pacific Northwest limps to a sad, premature conclusion: the Blazers are unable to defend their title, and Walton – having lost trust in the team’s doctors – demands to be traded.