Decades before the concept of an NBA Superteam became a thing, the trend-setting Los Angeles Lakers created their own version of a “Big Three.”
On July 9, 1968, Los Angeles shipped center Darrall Imhoff, forward Jerry Chambers and guard Archie Clark to the Philadelphia 76ers for 7-foot-1 center Wilt Chamberlain, who was (in)famous for scoring off the court as well as on it. ( 20,000, really?)
The Lakers figured the addition of the 31-year-old reigning MVP to a lineup that featured fellow future Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor would result in their first title since moving to Los Angeles from Minneapolis before the 1961 season. West, 30, and Baylor, 33, shot lights-out in 1967-68, averaging 26.3 and 26 points, respectively.
Chamberlain wasn’t the same player then as he was in 1961-62, when he averaged an NBA-record 50.4 points, but he had earned the league’s MVP Award the three previous seasons. In 1967-68, Wilt committed to shooting less, but his main stats line was stellar (24.3 ppg., 23.8 rpg and 8.6 apg.).
Hey, maybe the Lakers could go 82-0 with their Big Three!
“Instant World championship, right? Ten years of happy dunk shots, eh? We win 80 games a year, OK? Just mail us the pennant …,” wrote venerated Los Angeles Times sports columnist Jim Murray about the Chamberlain trade. “Shall we play the games or just nominate the Lakers champion by acclamation?”
He was kidding.
