[3] While a member of the Golden State Warriors, on October 20, 1978, Lucas scored a career best 35 points during a 111–108 win over the Trail Blazers.

[4] In his last season with the Warriors, Lucas's problems began where he missed a series of practice sessions, plane trips and games.

[7] Lucas played professional tennis and minor league basketball before returning to the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs and then moving on to Houston.

[8] Lucas's drug problems continued to plague him, and the Rockets waived him in 1984 and reinstated him the next season after he underwent rehabilitation.

However, after failing two drug tests, the Rockets waived Lucas in March before they embarked on a playoff run to the 1986 NBA Finals.

Lucas played three games with the Wichita Falls Texans in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1991–92 season.

[12] He was serving as head coach of the Miami Tropics in the United States Basketball League (USBL) at the time and appeared to help his player, Roy Tarpley, who was scared about making his debut after leaving a drug treatment facility.

[14] Lucas has helped multiple professional athletes with substance abuse, including Freeman Williams, with whom he became close friends.

[15] On August 8, 1991, Lucas bought the Miami Tropics franchise of the United States Basketball League to use the team as a tool in helping players overcome drug problems.

[16] He only intended to serve as team owner but realised he would be best suited as head coach to help with counselling players.

Lucas began working with former NFL first round pick JaMarcus Russell in 2010 as a life coach, but ceased this role in April 2011.

An All-American in the sport while at Maryland, he won ACC number one singles championship twice in 1974 and 1976, before being named the McKelvin Award winner as the conference's top all-around athlete.

Lucas also played World Team Tennis with the San Francisco Golden Gaters in 1976, and the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets in 1978.