.jpg) Baylor with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 16, 1934 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | March 22, 2021 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1958: 1st round, 1st overall pick |
| Selected by the Minneapolis Lakers | |
| Playing career | 1958–1971 |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 22 |
| Coaching career | 1974–1979 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1958–1971 | Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers |
| As coach: | |
| 1974–1976 | New Orleans Jazz (assistant) |
| 1974 | New Orleans Jazz (interim) |
| 1976–1979 | New Orleans Jazz |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As executive: | |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 23,149 (27.4 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 11,463 (13.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 3,650 (4.3 apg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Elgin Gay Baylor (/ˈɛldʒɪn/ EL-jin; September 16, 1934 – March 22, 2021) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. He played 14 seasons as a forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers. Baylor was a gifted shooter, a strong rebounder, and an accomplished passer, who was best known for his trademark hanging jump shot. The No. 1 draft pick in 1958, NBA Rookie of the Year in 1959, 11-time NBA All-Star, and a 10-time member of the All-NBA first team, Baylor is regarded as one of the game's all-time greatest players.[1] In 1977, Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[2] In 1996, Baylor was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.[3] In October 2021, Baylor was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Baylor is the leader for most career rebounds in Lakers franchise history with 11,463.[4]
Baylor spent 22 years as general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers, having managed the team for the majority of the Donald Sterling ownership period. He won the NBA Executive of the Year Award in 2006. Two years later, the Clippers relieved him of his executive duties shortly before the 2008–09 season began.[5] In 1974, he volunteered to play a mixed doubles exhibition tennis match with Tracy Austin against Lawrence McCutcheon and Lea Antonopolis in Clarement, California, for a sold-out crowd.
His popularity led to appearances on the television series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1968; the Jackson 5's first TV special in 1971; a Buck Rogers in the 25th Century episode "Olympiad"; and an episode of The White Shadow titled "If Your Number's Up, Get Down".
- ^ "Elgin Baylor: Complete Bio". nba.com. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ "Hall of Famers". Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 15, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2009.
- ^ "NBA at 50: Top 50 Players". NBA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- ^ "Clippers players shocked Baylor is out". Ocregister.com. October 8, 2008. Retrieved March 11, 2017.