October 28, 1973- As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA journeyman big man and shot-blocking specialist Elmore Smith blocks 17 shots in a 111-98 home win against the Portland Trailblazers- an NBA single-game record which still stands today.
Smith led the league in blocked shots in 1974 and 1975. Smith's 4.85 blocks per game in 1973-74, the first season blocked shots were officially recorded in the NBA, is the third highest in league history.
In addition to the Lakers, Smith's NBA career, which lasted from 1971-1979, saw him play for the Buffalo Braves, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. As a rookie, Smith averaged 17.3 ppg and 15.2 rpg and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team. A solid contributor, Smith averaged a double-double (13.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg) over the course of his career.
However, more significant than any of his on-court contributions to the Lakers, Smith was also part of the four-player package (Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Myers were the others) sent to the Milwauee Bucks after the 1974-75 season in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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