Basketball Culture
Why the Trail Blazers Retired #30: Bob Gross
Bob Gross was Portland's defensive secret weapon in 1977 — the player who held Julius Erving in check and helped deliver the only championship in franchise history.
5 min
2
Rings
1972
Rookie Year
Julius Erving — Dr. J — is one of the most transformative figures in basketball history, and his years with the New York/New Jersey Nets represent some of the most spectacular basketball ever played. Erving joined the Nets in 1973 and led them to back-to-back ABA Championships in 1974 and 1976, winning three ABA MVP awards and establishing himself as the most exciting player the sport had ever seen. His fluid athleticism, creativity above the rim, and pure offensive brilliance redefined what was possible with a basketball. Dr. J's acrobatic drives, gravity-defying dunks, and graceful finishing touched off a revolution in how the game was played — a direct lineage from Erving's ABA years to the modern NBA's aerial highlight culture. His Nets legacy is the foundation upon which everything that followed was built.
Bob Gross was Portland's defensive secret weapon in 1977 — the player who held Julius Erving in check and helped deliver the only championship in franchise history.
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Seasons
3
Teams
Virginia Squires
1972-1973
New York Nets
1973-1976
Philadelphia 76ers
1976-1987
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