In 1974, NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks. The league's all-time leading scorer was then sent to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he had a significant amount of success during the final stretch of his career.

However, according to Bucks' former General Manager Wayne Embdy, Kareem also preferred Washington as a trade destination during his negotiations with Milwaukee.

Who would've thought?

If the Bucks entertained a deal with the Wizards back then, they would have asked for someone like Wes Unseld or Elvin Hayes in a trade package for KAJ. Back then, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the most dominant big man in the league so there is no doubt Washington would have pulled the trigger in order to make that happen.

The Wizards were one of the most successful teams in the Eastern Conference, and adding Abdul-Jabbar would have made them more formiddable, even if that meant giving up either Unseld or Hayes.

However, KAJ's desire to play for a big market team made the difference, that is why he ended up in Los Angeles.

It paid off for the Lakers in the end, as he led the franchise to five titles alongside fellow Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and James Worthy. The team's rivalry with the Boston Celtics was also one of the most anticipated sports match-ups during the 80s, and Abdul-Jabbar helped the purple and gold score two Finals victories against Boston.

In the end, everything worked out for Kareem's career, as he ended it with one of the most prominent franchises in the history of American sports.