LA Lakers’ Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor dies

Elgin Baylor, Lakers Hall of Famer, dies at 86 (NCD)

By Natalie Dreier, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

March 22, 2021 at 2:59 pm EDT

The LA Lakers has announced its Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor has died.

He was 86.

The team said he died of natural causes at his home, surrounded by his wife and daughter.

“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” Elaine Baylor said of her husband. “And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans. At this time we ask that I and our family be allowed to mourn his passing in privacy.”

Baylor played for the College of Idaho before he transferred to Seattle University. He led Seattle to the first NCAA championship. He was drafted first overall in 1958 by the Minneapolis Lakers where he averaged 24.9 points, 15 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a rookie.

He played 14 seasons for the Lakers first when they were located in Minneapolis and then after the team moved to Los Angeles.

He was an NBA All-Star 11 times and had 10 First Team All-NBA appearances.

He retired as a player in 1971 but didn’t leave the game, Baylor served as a coach for the New Orleans Jazz and eventually vice president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Off the court, Baylor served his country in the U.S. Army Reserves, playing for the Lakers when he was on a weekend pass. His No. 22 jersey was retired and now hangs at the Staples Center, where a statue was also erected in his honor in 2018.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.

Baylor is survived by his wife, a son, two daughters and a sister.

His funeral plans are pending, the team said.

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