The NBA world is in mourning this afternoon.
Hall of Fame forward and 10-time First Team All-NBA selection Elgin Baylor passed away today at the age of 86 of natural causes, as announced by the Los Angeles Lakers:
Elgin Baylor: Forever part of our Lakers Family. pic.twitter.com/zcRhVUSSmx
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 22, 2021
Baylor played 14 seasons in the NBA, all with the Los Angeles Lakers (his first two years were spent in Minneapolis prior to the Lakers’ move to California). The 11 time All-Star was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.
“Elgin was THE superstar of his era – his many accolades speak to that,” said Lakers president Jeanie Buss 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, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass. He is one of the all-time Lakers greats with his No. 22 jersey retired in the rafters and his statue standing guard in front of Staples Center. He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family.”
Baylor later spent 22 years as GM of the Los Angeles Clippers.
– – Quotes via NBA.com Link – –