Elgin Baylor, the NBA Hall of Famer who spent his entire playing career with the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers, has passed away at the age of 86.

What You Need To Know

  • Lakers legend Elgin Baylor passed away at 86

  • During his 14 seasons with the team, Baylor made 11 All-Star appearances and was named All-NBA 10 times

  • While he never won an NBA title, Baylor still holds the league record for most points scored in an NBA Finals game

  • Baylor scored over 23,000 points and had over 11,000 rebounds for his career, and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2006

Baylor, who also coached the New Orleans Jazz and served as an executive with the Los Angeles Clippers, died surrounded by his wife, Elaine, and daughter, Krystal.

"Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend," his wife said in a statement released by the Lakers. "And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans."

During his 14 seasons with the team, Baylor made 11 All-Star appearances and was named All-NBA 10 times. While he never won a title, Baylor still holds the record for the most points scored in a single NBA Finals game with 62 points, a feat he accomplished in 1962.

Baylor was also the first NBA player to score over 70 points in a game, setting a Lakers scoring record with 71 points in a game against the New York Knicks in 1960 – a record that stood until another Laker icon, Kobe Bryant, shattered it with 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.

"Elgin was THE superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that," Lakers governor Jeannie Buss said in a statement, before going on to celebrate his achievements both on and off the court. "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," Buss concluded.

Born in Washington, D.C., Baylor played for the College of Idaho and Seattle before joining the NBA.

The Lakers drafted Baylor not once, but twice – the team picked him in the 14th round of the 1956 NBA Draft, but decided to stay in school instead, before choosing him again No. 1 overall pick in 1958.

Baylor went on to win Rookie of the Year for the 1958-59 season, and was the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. 

Baylor retired early due to knee issues in the 1971-72 season, just missing out on an elusive NBA title as the Lakers beat the Knicks. The Lakers gave him a championship ring despite his early retirement.

"He was one of the most spectacular shooters the game has ever known," Jerry West, another Lakers great and Baylor’s longtime teammate said in a 1992 issue of HOOP magazine, adding: "I haven’t seen many that can compare with him."

Baylor worked for the Clippers from 1986 to 2008. He left the team with acrimony and unsuccessfully sued owner Donald Sterling and the NBA claiming age and race discrimination. Sterling is now banned for life from the NBA.

Baylor scored over 23,000 points and had over 11,000 rebounds for his career, and was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2006. Baylor became the sixth Lakers player to be honored by the team with a statue. 

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