Former and famous player Elgin Baylor, who followed his illustrious career for decades as general manager of LA Clippers, died at the age of 86.
Baylor died Monday of natural causes and was surrounded by his wife, Elaine, and his daughter, Krystal, the Los Angeles Lakers said in a statement.
“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” Elaine said in a statement. “And, like everyone else, I was terrified of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all the fans. At this moment, we ask that my family and I be allowed to mourn our passing in private.”
Considered one of the best basketball players, Baylor was selected 11 times at the All-Star Game and was All-NBA 10 times during his 14 seasons with the Lakers from 1958 to 1971.
He was also the debutant of the year from 1958-59, as well as “MVP” of the All-Star game that year. He won on average a double-double in his career, recording 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.
With the Lakers moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960, Baylor made eight appearances in the NBA Finals, but never won a title, losing seven games to the Boston Celtics three times. .
He holds the record for the 61-point single-player final against the Celtics in 1962. “Elgin was a superstar of his day,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement.
“He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly, he was a man of great integrity, he even served his country in the military,” he said.
His highlights also included becoming the first player to score 70 points in a game and hitting 71 against the New York Knicks in November 1960. This remained the Lakers’ single-game record until Kobe Bryant scored. 81. v. Toronto Raptors in 2006.
Baylor retired early in the 1971-72 season due to knee problems.
Following his playing career, Baylor coached the New Orleans Jazz for three seasons (1976-79) without a playoff appearance before resigning.
He then found a long-term home in the Clippers’ main office, serving as general manager from 1986 to 2009, although the team only made two playoff appearances during his tenure. He was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2005-06, when the Clippers won 47 games and reached the Western Conference semifinals.
Baylor said he was forced to quit his job because of his age and racial profile.