Morris “Bucky” Buckwalter (born November 22, 1933) is a native LaGrande who reached the top of the pro basketball world through a career as a player, coach and then scout and executive, helping develop the Blazers roster that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and ’92. His vision was unparalleled in finding talent in unusual or previously unexplored places.
Buckwalter grew up in LaGrande and played collegiately at the University of Utah, which twice reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. Following graduation, he became a college assistant at Utah and later head coach at Seattle University.
From there, he moved to the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA and served as an interim coach for a time in 1972. In 1973, he became coach of the Utah Stars of the ABA and signed 17-year-old Moses Malone, who later became an NBA Hall of Famer. He moved back to Portland as an assistant coach under Jack Ramsay in 1978 and became an executive in 1986.
Buckwalter’s biggest accomplishments in basketball came as a judge of player talent, including finding Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter to help build the Clyde Drexler-led Blazers of the ‘90s. The Sporting News named him NBA Executive of the Year in 1991.
Buckwalter was at the front of NBA scouts in locating talent from overseas particularly Drazen Petrovic and Arvydas Sabonis. Bucky saw the greatness in Sabonis years before he wore the Trail Blazer uniform. In overseas visits to more than 40 countries, Buckwalter has claimed more than two million frequent flier miles.
In retirement, Bucky Buckwalter's favorite vacation remained anywhere the sun shines.