NBA Most Valuable Player Award
Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, wanted out of Milwaukee, and the Lakers acquired him in a trade. His first year in Los Angeles resulted in his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award, after he averaged 27.7 points per game, and led the NBA with 16.9 rebounds per game and 4.12 blocked shots per game. But the Lakers failed to make the playoffs again at 40–42 (meanwhile, Milwaukee went from last to first in their division despite finishing the season with a losing record). The Lakers returned to form in 1976–77, with the NBA's best record at 53–29. After beating the Warriors, they were swept 4–0 in the Western Conference Finals by Bill Walton's eventual NBA champion Portland Trail Blazers.