The lineage of superstars on the Los Angeles Lakers is so rich and accomplished that debates will rage on for decades of which one was the greatest.
Only one will ever be the first.
Elgin Baylor, the pioneering forward whose above-the-rim style changed the trajectory of pro basketball in L.A. and the game itself, died of natural causes on Monday morning, the Lakers said in a team statement. He was 86.
Listed at 6-foot-5, Baylor played 14 seasons for the Lakers spanning eras in Minneapolis and into Los Angeles. He remains the franchise’s all-time leader in total rebounds (11,463) and points per game (27.4 ppg). His No. 22 jersey is retired, and the Hall of Famer was immortalized with a statue outside of Staples Center in 2018.
“Thank God this day is here,” former teammate Jerry West said at the time. “It is richly deserved.”
In a franchise that prides itself on minting champions, Baylor built the franchise to the level where it could contend but retired in 1971 before the Lakers won their first championship in L.A. He went to eight Finals without hoisting up the trophy at the finish, inevitably crashing against the dominant Boston Celtics of the era.
He would go on to become the coach of the Utah Jazz and an executive with the Los Angeles Clippers. A man whom players who came after inevitably described as underappreciated both in his time and after he retired, Baylor was also regarded for his grace and humanity.
“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” Elaine Baylor said in the Lakers’ statement. “And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans.”
Baylor was born in Washington, D.C. in 1934. He was a prep star in the District before becoming a star at Seattle University, where he guided the school to its first NCAA Final in 1958, falling to Kentucky. After the Minneapolis Lakers drafted him No. 1 overall in 1958, he was an immediate splash into to the then-fledgling NBA where he won Rookie of the Year and would go on to become an 11-time All-Star.
Teammates revered him for his ability to perform under dramatically adverse circumstances. He served as an Army Reservist during the 1961-62 season and played on a weekend pass, averaging a career-high 38.3 points and 18.6 rebounds in the 48 games he was permitted to compete. His will also showed as he battled the racism of the time, standing up against segregated businesses that would not cater to both the Black and White Lakers players.
“Elgin was THE superstar of his era,” team owner Jeanie Buss said in the team statement. “His many accolades speak to that.”
Baylor is survived by his wife Elaine and three children.
This story will be updated.