51 Years Ago Today: Lakers Made One of the Greatest Trades in NBA History
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most historic franchises in NBA history, and for good reason. After all, the team has the second-most championships with 17, only behind the Boston Celtics.
Los Angeles has also seen several great players don the purple and gold, such as Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
One player who completely transformed the franchise and made it one of the greatest teams ever is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar didn't start his career with the Lakers. He was the Milwaukee Bucks' first overall pick in 1969, eventually playing for them for six seasons and leading the team to its first championship in 1971.
However, it was with the Lakers that Abdul-Jabbar truly elevated his status as an all-time great, winning five championships alongside Johnson in L.A.'s "Showtime Era."
Lakers Trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It was exactly 51 years ago today, on June 16, 1975, that the Lakers acquired Abdul-Jabbar from the Bucks.
The Bucks had little choice but to move on from Abdul-Jabbar because he had requested a trade from the team eight months prior to the Lakers deal.
The Lakers and the New York Knicks were his preferred trade destinations, and the Bucks eventually went with L.A. and the stockpile of young talent it could offer.
L.A. gave up 25-year-old center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, as well as Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman, who are the second overall and eighth overall picks, respectively, in the 1975 NBA Draft.
In return, the Bucks sent Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Lakers.
Milwaukee preferred to acquire young talent in an attempt to rebuild, so the deal with the Lakers certainly looked appealing. After all, both Smith and Winters were also young players and highly-rated draft picks in 1971 and 1974, respectively.
Winters went on to become a two-time All-Star for the Bucks, and his jersey was eventually being retired by the team. Bridgeman also became a franchise icon and had his jersey retired, too.
However, considering the success Abdul-Jabbar had with the Lakers, it's easy to say that the Lakers won the trade.
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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 5:17 AM.