The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade
A scan of the newspaper article is below. Below that is the converted text file.
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SPORTS
Monday, June 16, 1975
Bucks Trade Abdul-Jabbar for 4 Lakers
By Bill Dwyre
of The Journal Staff
An era of Milwaukee Bucks’ professional basketball that began in the spring of 1969, with Chairman of the Board Wes Pavalon winning a coin flip for the right to draft UCLA star Lew Alcindor, ended Monday.
The Bucks traded that same star player, who had changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 because of his Moslem religious beliefs, to the Los Angeles Lakers for four players.
The four are Elmore Smith, 7 feet 1 inch and a four year veteran; Brian Winters, 6-4 and a one year veteran; Dave Meyers, 6-9 All-American from UCLA who had been a first round draft choice of the Lakers two weeks ago, and Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman, 6-4 star from Louisville who was also picked by the Lakers in this year’s first round.
Thrown in the deal with Abdul-Jabbar was Walt Wesley, a nine year veteran of the NBA who served infrequently last season as Abdul-Jabbar’s backup. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 42.3 minutes a game of a possible 48 last season, the 6-11 Wesley averaged 5.2 minutes.
Story Leaks Out
The announcement of the trade was to be made at press conferences in Los Angeles and Milwaukee at 1 pm., Milwaukee time. But the story leaked out and was broken in Los Angeles late Sunday night on KNBC radio.
The report was made by Ross Porter, KNBC sportscaster, who had reported three weeks ago that a trade involving Abdul-Jabbar and the four Laker players was in the works.
The Associated Press reported Monday morning that the trade had hinged on the Lakers signing over the weekend of Bridgeman. The AP also reported that the trade included “other considerations” from the Lakers to the Bucks. That was interpreted to mean that the Bucks had set a ceiling on the amount they woud pay Meyers and Bridgeman and that anything more than that would be absorbed by the Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA All-Star team each season except 1974-’75. He was a second team choice as a rookie in 1969-‘70 and a first team selection the next four years. He led the league in scoring three times and was named the league’s most valuable player three times. His scoring averages for his six seasons as a member of the Bucks were 28.6 points, 31.7, 34.8, 30.2, 27.0 and 30.0. He had a scoring high of 55 points Dec.10, 1971, against the Boston Celtics.
Only Title
The Bucks won their only NBA title in 1971, when Abdul-Jabbar led them to a four game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the final playoff series.
In the 1973-74 season, Abdul-Jabbar again led the Bucks into the final playoff series, and forced the series into a seventh game with a memorable hook shot from the right corner as time ran out in the second overtime of the sixth game in Boston. But then the Bucks were beaten in the seventh game in Milwaukee, 102-87.
In the 1974-’75 season, Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand in a fit of anger in a preseason game at Buffalo, N.Y. He had been poked in the eye by Don Nelson of the Celtics and the action angered Abdul-Jabbar so much that he punched the basket support with his right hand and fractured the hand.
That meant that he missed the first 16 games and the Bucks got off to one of their worst starts ever. They eventually missed the playoffs altogether, finishing last in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. And Abdul-Jabbar made the season even less memorable when, on March 14, he confirmed broadcast and published reports that he had been asking the Bucks all along to trade him.
Meyers is Key
The key to the trade as far as the Bucks were concerned was Meyers, who undoubtedly will be expected to fill the forward spot opposite Bob Dandridge that has been such a trouble spot for Milwaukee for years. Meyers averaged around 20 points a game last season for UCLA and led the Bruins to the National Collegiate Athletic Association title. Despite his 6-9 size, he has the speed and mobility of a John Havlicek. Meyers’ father, Bob, once played at both Carroll College and Marquette University.
Smith, 26, has never made it to all-star status in the NBA. But he is an established starter, known for his defensive abilities. He led the NBA in blocked shots with 393 in the 1973-’74 season and has averaged around 13 points a game.
Winters, who averaged 20 points a game as a senior at South Carolina and who was one of the top players sought by Marquette University’s Al McGuire during Winters’ high school days In New
Turn to Bucks, page 13,col 5
(Sorry, I lost the second part of this story)
Monday, June 16, 1975
Bucks Trade Abdul-Jabbar for 4 Lakers
By Bill Dwyre
of The Journal Staff
An era of Milwaukee Bucks’ professional basketball that began in the spring of 1969, with Chairman of the Board Wes Pavalon winning a coin flip for the right to draft UCLA star Lew Alcindor, ended Monday.
The Bucks traded that same star player, who had changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 because of his Moslem religious beliefs, to the Los Angeles Lakers for four players.
The four are Elmore Smith, 7 feet 1 inch and a four year veteran; Brian Winters, 6-4 and a one year veteran; Dave Meyers, 6-9 All-American from UCLA who had been a first round draft choice of the Lakers two weeks ago, and Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman, 6-4 star from Louisville who was also picked by the Lakers in this year’s first round.
Thrown in the deal with Abdul-Jabbar was Walt Wesley, a nine year veteran of the NBA who served infrequently last season as Abdul-Jabbar’s backup. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 42.3 minutes a game of a possible 48 last season, the 6-11 Wesley averaged 5.2 minutes.
Story Leaks Out
The announcement of the trade was to be made at press conferences in Los Angeles and Milwaukee at 1 pm., Milwaukee time. But the story leaked out and was broken in Los Angeles late Sunday night on KNBC radio.
The report was made by Ross Porter, KNBC sportscaster, who had reported three weeks ago that a trade involving Abdul-Jabbar and the four Laker players was in the works.
The Associated Press reported Monday morning that the trade had hinged on the Lakers signing over the weekend of Bridgeman. The AP also reported that the trade included “other considerations” from the Lakers to the Bucks. That was interpreted to mean that the Bucks had set a ceiling on the amount they woud pay Meyers and Bridgeman and that anything more than that would be absorbed by the Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA All-Star team each season except 1974-’75. He was a second team choice as a rookie in 1969-‘70 and a first team selection the next four years. He led the league in scoring three times and was named the league’s most valuable player three times. His scoring averages for his six seasons as a member of the Bucks were 28.6 points, 31.7, 34.8, 30.2, 27.0 and 30.0. He had a scoring high of 55 points Dec.10, 1971, against the Boston Celtics.
Only Title
The Bucks won their only NBA title in 1971, when Abdul-Jabbar led them to a four game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the final playoff series.
In the 1973-74 season, Abdul-Jabbar again led the Bucks into the final playoff series, and forced the series into a seventh game with a memorable hook shot from the right corner as time ran out in the second overtime of the sixth game in Boston. But then the Bucks were beaten in the seventh game in Milwaukee, 102-87.
In the 1974-’75 season, Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand in a fit of anger in a preseason game at Buffalo, N.Y. He had been poked in the eye by Don Nelson of the Celtics and the action angered Abdul-Jabbar so much that he punched the basket support with his right hand and fractured the hand.
That meant that he missed the first 16 games and the Bucks got off to one of their worst starts ever. They eventually missed the playoffs altogether, finishing last in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. And Abdul-Jabbar made the season even less memorable when, on March 14, he confirmed broadcast and published reports that he had been asking the Bucks all along to trade him.
Meyers is Key
The key to the trade as far as the Bucks were concerned was Meyers, who undoubtedly will be expected to fill the forward spot opposite Bob Dandridge that has been such a trouble spot for Milwaukee for years. Meyers averaged around 20 points a game last season for UCLA and led the Bruins to the National Collegiate Athletic Association title. Despite his 6-9 size, he has the speed and mobility of a John Havlicek. Meyers’ father, Bob, once played at both Carroll College and Marquette University.
Smith, 26, has never made it to all-star status in the NBA. But he is an established starter, known for his defensive abilities. He led the NBA in blocked shots with 393 in the 1973-’74 season and has averaged around 13 points a game.
Winters, who averaged 20 points a game as a senior at South Carolina and who was one of the top players sought by Marquette University’s Al McGuire during Winters’ high school days In New
Turn to Bucks, page 13,col 5
(Sorry, I lost the second part of this story)