Kareem was almost traded in 1982.

[JordansBulls]

From 1982

Ralph Sampson would have left for the NBA early if the Lakers were guaranteed to get the #1 pick that year. Meanwhile, the Lakers were working on a blockbuster trade with 3 other teams (3rd team undisclosed). Here's how part of it would have shaped up --

Proposed Trade

NY Knicks
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (from LAL)

LA Lakers
Michael Ray Richardson (from NYK)

Utah Jazz
Bill Cartwright (from NYK)

Imagine the Lakers trading Kareem during the playoffs! :eek: This was broadcast during halftime of Game 4 of the ECF (Sixers/Celtics) that year.

[madiaz3]

I had no idea who Michael Richardson was until I looked him up. But he was pretty damn good in 1982.

18 ppg, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, nearly 3 steals a game and led the league 3 times in it. Still don't see why they would have traded Kareem for him.

[ko8e24]

sometimes, not making a move is the best move, lol

[blazerman]

Kareem for Richardson, that would have been the biggest rip off in league history.

Richardson was a bigger dope fiend than Shawn kemp and was banned a few times because of it.

Richardson would have certainly had a cameo role in Johnny Depp's movie "Blow".

[Lakersfan2483]

I am glad that trade did not go down, talk about disaster being written all over it. After 82, Kareem was instrumental in La's title runs....

[Lakerfan8032]

If there is truth to that then I would be surprised.

[JordansBulls]

sometimes, not making a move is the best move, lol

I'm trying to figure out why you would trade a guy who had won 6 MVP's at the time and 2 titles.

[Kobeisalegend]

Yeah, that would have been a bad trade. The Bucks still haven't recovered from trading Kareem!

[futureman]

How good was cartwright back in 1982?

[SteveNash]

The other team was the Clippers

I'm trying to figure out why you would trade a guy who had won 6 MVP's at the time and 2 titles.

Probably because he wasn't much of a good teammate and didn't do a whole lot of winning.

[JordansBulls]

The other team was the Clippers



Probably because he wasn't much of a good teammate and didn't do a whole lot of winning.

He was much more important than those other guys that is for sure.

[Chronz]

I had no idea who Michael Richardson was until I looked him up. But he was pretty damn good in 1982.

18 ppg, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, nearly 3 steals a game and led the league 3 times in it. Still don't see why they would have traded Kareem for him.

For him AND Sampson, thats a pretty good package

[hgtiger32]

Yeah, that would have been a bad trade. The Bucks still haven't recovered from trading Kareem!

as a bucks fan it sucks. he wanted out of milwaukee - to a bigger and better team/market...we got some solid players in return but for a player like him you will never get full value in return.

it's like if the cavs were to trade lebron..for example the mavs could offer dirk and josh howard with 1st round picks for a couple of years. sure the cavs would get lots of good value in return but it would never replace lebron and what he could do...same thing here with kareem...if that mad any sense at all...lol

[k08E24MVP]

If Michael Ray Richardson had not have done drugs... TOP 50 player in NBA!!
People say he "COULD HAVE" been better than Magic if he wasn't hooked =/

[JordansBulls]

If Michael Ray Richardson had not have done drugs... TOP 50 player in NBA!!
People say he "COULD HAVE" been better than Magic if he wasn't hooked =/

Not sure if he would have been as good as Magic, but he could have been a top 5 PG.