The 1974-75 Los Angeles Lakers season was marked by transition and rebuilding. The team, under head coach Bill Sharman, ended the regular season with a 30-52 record, finishing fourth in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs. This season was a stark contrast to the franchise’s storied success over previous years, notably the early 70s championship runs.
The Lakers’ roster experienced significant changes, including the retirement of legendary center Wilt Chamberlain prior to the season. Gail Goodrich led the team in scoring, averaging 22.6 points per game, while Happy Hairston provided a strong presence on the boards, averaging 9.4 rebounds per game. Despite these individual efforts, the team struggled to find cohesion and consistency, reflected in their sub-.500 record.
One of the notable aspects of the 1974-75 season was the Lakers’ defensive struggles, as they allowed an average of 110.2 points per game, which was among the highest in the league. This defensive vulnerability contributed significantly to their inability to close out games and secure wins against stronger teams.
Overall, the 1974-75 season was a challenging period for the Lakers, characterized by instability and the need to rebuild following the departure of key players. The team aimed to use the offseason to address their weaknesses and re-establish themselves as contenders in the NBA landscape.
- Regular Season Record: 30-52
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1974-75 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Gail Goodrich | 72 | 22.6 | 3.0 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Jim Price | 9 | 21.2 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Lucius Allen | 56 | 19.5 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Cazzie Russell | 40 | 15.7 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Brian Winters | 68 | 11.7 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Pat Riley | 46 | 11.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Elmore Smith | 74 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Happy Hairston | 74 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Stu Lantz | 56 | 9.3 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Connie Hawkins | 43 | 8.0 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Stan Love | 30 | 7.2 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Zelmo Beaty | 69 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Corky Calhoun | 57 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Kermit Washington | 55 | 4.5 | 6.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Bill Bridges | 17 | 3.3 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |||||||
Los Angeles Lakers 1974-75 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1974-75 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 105-90 | |
| Oct 20, 1974 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 105-95 | |
| Oct 25, 1974 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 110-107 | |
| Oct 27, 1974 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 123-116 | |
| Oct 29, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | W 105-102 | |
| Oct 30, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 117-97 | |
| Nov 01, 1974 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 109-86 | |
| Nov 03, 1974 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 124-101 | |
| Nov 08, 1974 | vs. New York Knicks | L 117-105 | |
| Nov 10, 1974 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 106-103 | |
| Nov 13, 1974 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 108-103 | |
| Nov 15, 1974 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 105-99 | |
| Nov 16, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 112-99 | |
| Nov 17, 1974 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 96-76 | |
| Nov 22, 1974 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 89-83 | |
| Nov 24, 1974 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 111-108 | |
| Nov 26, 1974 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-102 | |
| Nov 27, 1974 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 107-89 | |
| Nov 29, 1974 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 127-122 | |
| Nov 30, 1974 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 128-118 | |
| Dec 01, 1974 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 111-105 | |
| Dec 03, 1974 | @ New York Knicks | L 100-95 | |
| Dec 04, 1974 | @ Boston Celtics | L 101-90 | |
| Dec 06, 1974 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 100-84 | |
| Dec 07, 1974 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 92-88 | |
| Dec 08, 1974 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 107-102 | |
| Dec 13, 1974 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 109-93 | |
| Dec 15, 1974 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 100-97 | |
| Dec 17, 1974 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 119-106 | |
| Dec 20, 1974 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 103-102 | |
| Dec 21, 1974 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 114-104 | |
| Dec 22, 1974 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 115-102 | |
| Dec 26, 1974 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 99-89 | |
| Dec 27, 1974 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 105-93 | |
| Dec 28, 1974 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 106-89 | |
| Dec 30, 1974 | @ Houston Rockets | L 120-107 | |
| Jan 03, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 127-106 | |
| Jan 05, 1975 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 112-109 | |
| Jan 07, 1975 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 115-107 | |
| Jan 08, 1975 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 106-98 | |
| Jan 10, 1975 | @ Boston Celtics | L 103-97 | |
| Jan 11, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 102-90 | |
| Jan 21, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 138-108 | |
| Jan 24, 1975 | vs. New Orleans Jazz | W 110-108 | |
| Jan 26, 1975 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 103-97 | |
| Jan 28, 1975 | @ Houston Rockets | L 104-89 | |
| Jan 29, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | W 112-108 | |
| Jan 31, 1975 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 105-101 | |
| Feb 02, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 119-112 | |
| Feb 04, 1975 | @ New York Knicks | L 109-94 | |
| Feb 05, 1975 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | W 113-110 | |
| Feb 07, 1975 | @ Buffalo Braves | L 108-98 | |
| Feb 09, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 97-96 | |
| Feb 11, 1975 | vs. Buffalo Braves | L 112-108 | |
| Feb 14, 1975 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 108-100 | |
| Feb 16, 1975 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 109-87 | |
| Feb 18, 1975 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 128-105 | |
| Feb 19, 1975 | @ Kansas City-Omaha Kings | L 115-92 | |
| Feb 21, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 105-93 | |
| Feb 23, 1975 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 119-115 | |
| Feb 26, 1975 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 117-116 | |
| Feb 28, 1975 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-105 | |
| Mar 02, 1975 | @ Washington Bullets | L 117-104 | |
| Mar 04, 1975 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 109-97 | |
| Mar 05, 1975 | @ New Orleans Jazz | L 123-117 | |
| Mar 07, 1975 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 89-87 | |
| Mar 09, 1975 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 116-95 | |
| Mar 11, 1975 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 95-94 | |
| Mar 13, 1975 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 104-85 | |
| Mar 14, 1975 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 105-104 | |
| Mar 16, 1975 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 111-95 | |
| Mar 18, 1975 | vs. New York Knicks | L 109-100 | |
| Mar 21, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 112-109 | |
| Mar 23, 1975 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 116-97 | |
| Mar 25, 1975 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 139-122 | |
| Mar 26, 1975 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 110-89 | |
| Mar 28, 1975 | vs. Kansas City-Omaha Kings | W 114-103 | |
| Mar 30, 1975 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 104-90 | |
| Apr 01, 1975 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 124-106 | |
| Apr 02, 1975 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 108-106 | |
| Apr 04, 1975 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-102 | |
| Apr 06, 1975 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 126-97 |