Dave Meyers, U.C.L.A. Basketball Star, Dies at 62

Dave Meyers, who led U.C.L.A. to the 1975 N.C.A.A. basketball championship as the team’s lone senior in John Wooden’s final season as coach, and who was later part of the trade that sent Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers, died on Friday at his home in Temecula, Calif. He was 62.    

His death was announced by U.C.L.A., which said the cause was cancer.

Meyers, a 6-foot-8 forward, led U.C.L.A. in scoring with 18.3 points a game and in rebounding with 7.9 a game in his final season, helping the Bruins to a 28-3 record. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds in U.C.L.A.’s 92-85 victory over Kentucky in the N.C.A.A. title game, which was played in his hometown, San Diego.  

He was chosen by the Lakers as the second overall pick in the 1975 N.B.A. draft. (David Thompson of North Carolina State was drafted first, by the Atlanta Hawks, although he instead signed with the Virginia Squires of the rival A.B.A.)

Shortly after the draft, Meyers was part of a blockbuster trade: He was sent, along with Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters and Elmore Smith, to the Milwaukee Bucks for Abdul-Jabbar — who was already a three-time most valuable player and who is now widely regarded as one of the greatest players in N.B.A. history — and Walt Wesley.

Meyers played well for Milwaukee, averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, but retired after four seasons.

David William Meyers was born on April 21, 1953, in San Diego. His survivors include his wife of 40 years, Linda; a daughter, Crystal; a son, Sean; his mother, Pat; three brothers, Mark, Jeff and Bobby; and five sisters, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Patty Meyers, Cathy Meyers, Susan Meyers and Coleen Lindsey.

Ann Meyers Drysdale was also a star basketball player at U.C.L.A. and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.