Editing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (section)

====MVP recognition and trade request (1971–1975)====
During the offseason, Alcindor and Robertson joined Bucks head coach [[Larry Costello]] on a three-week basketball tour of Africa on behalf of the [[State Department]]. In a press conference at the State Department on June 3, 1971, he stated that going forward he wanted to be called by his Muslim name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, its translation roughly "noble one, servant of the Almighty [i.e., servant of [[God in Islam|God]]]".<ref>{{cite news|first=Terence|last=Smith|title=Biggest Name in N.B.A.: Jabbar|date=June 4, 1971|newspaper=The New York Times|page=27|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/04/archives/biggest-name-in-nba-jabbar.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Seppy|title=Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Also Known As Lew Alcindor) To Tour Africa|date=June 4, 1971|newspaper=Sheboygan Press|agency=Associated Press|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79052561/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

[[File:Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1974.jpeg|thumb|left|175px|Abdul-Jabbar lines up a free throw. He started wearing goggles in order to avoid damage to his corneas.]]
Abdul-Jabbar remained a dominant force for the Bucks. The following year, he repeated as scoring champion ([[List of National Basketball Association top individual scoring season averages|34.8 ppg]] and 2,822 total points)<ref name=EB/> and became the first player to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player twice in his first three years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar is Most Valuable|date=March 22, 1971|newspaper=Kenosha News|page=25|agency=UPI|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79055569/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1974, Abdul-Jabbar led the Bucks to their fourth consecutive [[Midwest Division (NBA)|Midwest Division]] title,<ref name=nea_10242974>{{cite news|title=Basketball Pro Chart|date=October 24, 1974|newspaper=The Lompoc Record|page=7|agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79057859/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and he won his third MVP Award in four years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jabbar—Most Valuable Player|date=March 21, 1974|newspaper=The Fresno Bee|page=D1|agency=AP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79056379/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was among the top five NBA players in scoring (27.0 ppg, third), rebounding (14.5 rpg, fourth), [[blocked shot]]s (283, second), and [[field goal percentage]] (.539, second).<ref name=nea_10242974/> Milwaukee advanced to the [[1974 NBA Finals|1974 finals]], losing to the [[Boston Celtics]] in seven games.<ref>{{cite news|first=Sopan|last=Deb|title=The Bucks Have Big-Time Supporters: Kareem and Oscar Robertson|date=July 11, 2021|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/11/sports/basketball/nba-bucks-abdul-jabbar-robertson.html|access-date=April 18, 2022}}</ref>

Robertson, who became a free agent in the offseason, retired in September 1974 after he was unable to agree on a contract with the Bucks.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Pat|last=Putnam|title=Return of Ol Goggle-Eyes|date=December 9, 1974|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1974/12/09/return-of-old-goggleeyes|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Goldaper|title=Robertson Ends Career|date=September 4, 1974|newspaper=The New York Times|page=33|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/09/04/archives/robertson-ends-career-nba-great-accepts-cbstv-pact-robertson.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref> On October 3, Abdul-Jabbar privately requested a trade to the [[New York Knicks]], with his second choice being the [[Washington Bullets]] (now the Wizards) and his third, the [[Los Angeles Lakers]].<ref name=bonk_12251987/> He had never spoken negatively of the city of [[Milwaukee]] or its fans, but he said that being in the Midwest did not fit his cultural needs.<ref name=bonk_12251987/><ref>{{cite news |first=Sam |last=Goldaper |date=March 18, 1975 |work=[[The New York Times]] |title=Bucks See No Need Now to Make Deal for Unhappy Abdul-Jabbar |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/18/archives/bucks-see-no-need-now-to-make-deal-for-unhappy-abduljabbar-about.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| magazine=Sports Illustrated| title=Say It Ain't So Milwaukee Bucks| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2001/05/30/sayitaintso_bucks/| date=May 30, 2001| access-date=June 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104020207/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2001/05/30/sayitaintso_bucks/|archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref> Two days later in a pre-season game before the [[1974–75 NBA season|1974–75 season]] against the Celtics in [[Buffalo, New York]], Abdul-Jabbar caught a fingernail in his left eye from [[Don Nelson]] and suffered a [[corneal abrasion]]; this angered him enough to punch the [[backboard (basketball)|backboard]] stanchion, breaking two bones in his right hand.<ref name=bonk_12251987>{{cite news|first=Thomas|last=Bonk|title=June 16, 1975: A Banner Day For Lakers : Kareem Takes His Post : 4 Players Bucks Got in Trade Gone, but He's Still on Job|date=December 25, 1987|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-25-sp-21142-story.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Abdul-Jabbar Fractures Hand|date=October 6, 1974|newspaper=The New York Times|at=Section 5, page 1|agency=AP|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/10/06/archives/abduljabbar-fractures-hand.html|access-date=June 6, 2021}}</ref><ref name=wisc_11251974/> He missed the first 16 games of the season, during which the Bucks were 3–13, and returned in late November wearing protective goggles.<ref name=wisc_11251974>{{cite news|title=Kareem Looks Different, Acts The Same|date=November 25, 1974|newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal|at=Section 2, page 1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79059283/|access-date=June 6, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> On March 13, 1975, sportscaster [[Marv Albert]] reported that Abdul-Jabbar requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, preferably to the Knicks.<ref name=bonk_12251987/><ref>{{cite news|title=Jabbar on the move?|date=March 14, 1975|newspaper=The Journal-News|page=14B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79103850/|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> The following day after a loss in Milwaukee to the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar confirmed to reporters his desire to play in another city.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jabbar Finally Confirms It: He Wants To Be Traded|date=March 15, 1975|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|at=Part III, p. 1|agency=UPI|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79102904/|access-date=June 7, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He averaged 30.0 points during the season, but Milwaukee finished in last place in the division at 38–44.<ref name=cady_06171975>{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Cady|title=Abdul-Jabbar Traded by Bucks for Four Lakers|date=June 17, 1975|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/06/17/archives/abduljabbar-traded-by-bucks-for-four-lakers-jabbar-traded-to-lakers.html|access-date=June 7, 2021}}</ref>