Dave Twardzik

David John Twardzik (born September 20, 1950) is an American former professional basketball player who played point guard in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. He is best known as a key starting guard on the Portland Trail Blazers team that won the 1977 NBA Finals.

Twardzik grew up in Middletown, Pennsylvania, and played collegiately at Old Dominion University, where he was a two-time All-American and led the Monarchs to the 1971 NCAA Division II title game. He was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 1972 but elected to play for the Virginia Squires of the ABA. Twardzik played for the Squires for four seasons until the team and the ABA came to an end, folding just prior to the ABA-NBA merger in June 1976. After the merger, he signed with the Blazers as a free agent and became the starting two-guard on the team that won the NBA title in 1977. He played four seasons in Portland and retired at the end of the 1979–80 season because of injury. His jersey number, 13, was retired by the team on October 11, 1981. After his retirement from playing, he began an NBA coaching and front-office career.