SIDNEY WICKS
The great Sidney Wicks made the first of four consecutive All-Star appearances during his 1971-1972 rookie season, when he became Portland’s second consecutive Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-Rookie First Team.
A pivotal and highly decorated member of three consecutive national championship teams at UCLA, Wicks was selected second overall in the 1971 NBA draft. And he continued to dominate in The Show, averaging 22.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in five seasons with the Blazers.
The 6-foot-8-inch power forward holds the Blazers record for rebounds in a game with 27. He’s No. 1 all-time on the Trail Blazers’ minutes-per-game list (38.8), second on the all-time rebounds-per-game list (10.3 per game; behind only Bill Walton’s 13.5), and third on the all-time points-per-game list (22.3).
After his 10-year playing career, Wicks went into coaching, dry cleaning and real estate. He was in a terrible car accident in the early 1990s that nearly cost him his life.