Trade That Changed the NBA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lakers

Trade That Changed the NBA: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Lakers

imagine having Kareem Abdul Jabbar on your team you’ve won a championship he is the MVP of the league arguably the best player of all time and he’s in his prime the only problem is he’s in a city where he can’t worship and he can’t enjoy his life and it leads to him asking for a trade so he can feel comfortable how do you say no to that and that’s exactly what the Milwaukee Bucks did when they traded him to the LA Lakers a city he loves and knows and we’re gonna dive into this historical trade that changed the NBA and these two franchises forever today on Daily Sports History let’s go [Music] welcome to Daily Sports History i’m Ethan Ree your guide because my idea of a perfect date is debating who should have won the 1992 MVP over a cup of coffee so let’s go back to how Kareem ended up in Milwaukee well he started at UCLA dominating literally changing the game the NCAA said “No more dunking because he is too good.” And he was the obvious number one pick when they drafted him in 1969 and he jumped in right away in his rookie year he averaged over 28 points and 14 rebounds those are MVP caliber numbers as a rookie and the following year the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Oscar Robinson one of the greatest guards to ever play the game and he gave them a dynamic backcourt and veteran leadership to go along with Kareem’s dominance down low and with head coach Larry Costello guiding the team they were able to transform and become a championship team in the 197071 season they posted the best record ever by a team with 66 wins and Kareem averaged over 31 points and that year in the playoffs they would go on to sweep the Baltimore Bullets in the finals winning every game by at least 10 points and Kareem would be Finals MVP the Milwaukee Bucks were a championship team and the future looked bright because Kareem was in his prime but after 1971 Kareem changed his name he was Lu Al Cinder at this time but he changed it to Kareem Aldja to embrace his faith and identity in the Muslim tradition and this is where things started to change for him he was a star in Milwaukee everyone knew who he was partly because he was one of the few black men who was Muslim and was over 7 feet tall willing to bet there wasn’t many of those around anywhere but especially in Milwaukee and he dominated every single year in the 1972 season he would be the scoring champ of the league averaging over 34 points a game and being named the MVP and he would follow that up the next year and win the MVP again and lead them again to the finals although they would lose this finals but it was shortly after this when the 197475 season was about to begin kareem met for a dinner with the Milwaukee Bucks management there was Sam Gilbert who was his representative and the Bucks President Bill Alverson and the general manager Wayne Emory all there to talk about how he was feeling and he said his lifestyle and the lifestyle in Milwaukee was not compatible then about 1% of the population today in Milwaukee is Muslim there’s not very many mosques there and so he wanted to be traded because he couldn’t practice his religion in Milwaukee also he was a huge jazz lover he loved the jazz music scene but there wasn’t that in Milwaukee so he couldn’t enjoy jazz lounges he couldn’t enjoy the music he loved so he requested to be traded to either New York or LA two cities that he was comfortable in he grew up in New York he played college ball in LA but this was a private conversation this trade demand was not made public until months later and that was mainly because frankly the Bucks didn’t know what to do he told them he would finish out his contract with them he would play for them but he would not resign with them he would like to be traded but he would honor his contract so do you get another year out of him to play his contract because he’s under your contract or do you trade him and get some value back something that we see in the NBA all the time to this day trade demands now very common back then very uncommon you sign with somebody you played there it’s exactly how it normally went but this was a unique situation it’s a reasonable thing if you don’t fit in what will we do and that’s what he was trying to do and of course when it did get leaked out to the media everyone in Milwaukee was upset because it sounded like he didn’t want to be there but they didn’t really know or understand and the New York Knicks were aggressive they were trying to figure out a way to acquire him problem was they just didn’t have the right package and the Lakers didn’t have the right original package either they tried to center the package around veteran guard Gail Goodrich who was a Hall of Famer and a great player himself but didn’t move the needle for them they wanted young talent they could grow around he was a veteran also the year before Oscar Robinson retired so he didn’t really have a good team around him he was the only quality player and only won 38 games finishing seventh in the conference and did not make the playoffs with no other player on the team that really was a note so they played out that season he played good averaging 30 points a game and 14 rebounds what more could you ask from your star player but they finally struck a deal they felt gave them good enough return at least had upside the deal was they were going to send along with backup center Walt Wesley to the LA Lakers for Elmer Smith who was the league shot blocker the previous year and showed promise as a player and even to this day holds the record for the most block shots in a game it was really centered around him as a possible replacement for Cream then Brian Winters Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers and also some cash thrown in and this made headlines everywhere everyone was stopping it was breaking news like we interrupt you to bring you breaking news on the TV this was that news that this was happening it was huge and Jack Cook the owner of the LA Lakers said this was the most successful thing he ever did as owner of the team hands down and honestly hands down it was cuz Kareem would go on to win MVP in 1976,77 and 80 and then he would win five championships with the Lakers in 80 82 85 87 88 being around the Showtime Lakers and Magic creating one of the best duos to ever hit the court he also in 1984 broke the all-time scoring record held by Wilt Chamberlain and he would hold that record till LeBron James would break his record and this was all with the Lakers on top of his accomplishments with the Bucks he changed the Lakers into a contender in 1989 he would retire marking the end of the Showtime Laker era the following year his jersey would be retired and in 2012 they would unveil a statue of his legendary skyhook in front of the Lakers arena and he’ become a Hall of Famer and one of those people that’s just known by one name in Kareem as he found where he could practice his beliefs and his loves while in the city and unfortunately the Bucks they got the shaft let’s be honest Walt Elner Smith who was the highlight player they got only played two seasons with the Bucks he would average nine points and seven rebounds two blocks a game a quality player but not the game changer that Wilt was and then he in 1977 would get traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he just played one more season before retiring due to injuries brian Winters would become the starting shooting guard and become a key contributor to the team for the next 18 seasons averaging 16 points three rebounds and four assists a game and would become a two-time all-star in 1976 and 78 and would be the best player that they would receive in this trade junior Bridgeman played 10 seasons for the Bucks and became a reliable six-man option would average over 13 points three rebounds and two assists a game and was known for his versatility and would later become a businessman one of the most successful former NBA players outside of the NBA if you go by total net worth Dave Myers would go on to play four seasons with the Bucks average over 10 points and five rebounds before retiring due to back issues he shows some promise but unfortunately was derailed due to injuries which seemed to be what would happen to a lot of these players in this trade unfortunately but they didn’t just get nothing for Kareem problem was they had nothing else to go on they struggled for the next few years it was even made worse by Kareem doing so good and they can only imagine what would have happened if they kept him as they struggled in the 1980s they would begin to have more success they would finish second in the conference in 1980 and lose in the Western Conference semi-finals where Maris Johnson and Sydney Creef became their cornerstones of their team and would lead them to have seven straight 51 seasons during the 1980s and they would make the Eastern Conference Finals three times during the 1980s but unfortunately never make it to the finals and that continued through the 1990s as well where they would have Ray Allen and Michael Red and have some good teams around them but unfortunately still not be able to get over that hump until they drafted this skinny kid out of Greece that no one really knew about named Giannis Antmpo and he would change their trajectory forever becoming the greatest player in the NBA for a period of time just like they had in Kareem and would lead them to the promised land again in 2021 the question is was this the biggest trade in NBA history i want to thank you for listening to today’s Daily Sports History it means a lot to me i put a lot of work and effort into each and one of these episodes so if you could like and subscribe wherever you’re listening and

On June 16, 1975, the NBA was forever changed when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Los Angeles Lakers. In this episode, we dive deep into the drama, strategy, and legacy of one of basketball’s most monumental trades. Discover how Kareem’s move shaped the destinies of both franchises, what happened to every player involved, and how the Bucks rebuilt into a perennial contender. We explore the behind-the-scenes negotiations, the rise of the Showtime Lakers, and the ripple effects across the league. Whether you’re a die-hard basketball fan or a sports history buff, this episode is packed with stats, stories, and insights you won’t want to miss.Key Topics:
Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade from Milwaukee
The details and fallout of the 1975 blockbuster deal
How each player involved fared after the trade
The Bucks’ journey from rebuilding to powerhouse
The birth of Showtime and the Lakers dynasty
The enduring legacy of Kareem’s career and the trade’s impact on NBA history
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