Ex-Laker Bob Boozer dies at 75; teamed with Jerry West in 1965-66
Bob Boozer, a former Laker and U.S. Olympic teammate of Jerry West, died Saturday due to a brain aneurysm.
His wife, Ella Boozer, told the Associated Press that her husband died Saturday after becoming ill the previous evening while having dinner with friends. He was 75.
The highlights of the 6-foot-8 Boozer’s NBA career mostly center on his time with the Chicago Bulls and with the Milwaukee Bucks (with whom he won his only NBA championship before retiring in 1971). But Boozer also has connections with the Lakers, who acquired him from the New York Knicks in October 1965 for Dick Barnett. During the 1965-66 campaign, Boozer served as a role player to West and Elgin Baylor, averaging 12.2 points and seven rebounds through 78 games.
Boozer also played with West on the gold medal-winning 1960 U.S. Olympic team. On a squad that won eight games by an average of 42.4 points, Boozer provided mostly a defensive role off the bench. Boozer, West and the rest of the team were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
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