September 16

Elgin Baylor

One of the greatest persons ever associated with basketball on and off the court, former NBA player, coach and executive Elgin Gay Baylor was born on September 16, 1934 in Washington, DC. Baylor accomplished it all in the game of basketball as a trailblazer, craftsman, instructor and manager of the sport.

After a collegiate career at the College of Idaho and Seattle University, Baylor was drafted as the number one overall pick in the 1958 NBA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers.  He continued his career with the Los Angeles Lakers after the team moved from Minnesota. His total tenure with the Lakers as a player was from 1958 to 1972.  Baylor was selected rookie of the year in the NBA during the 1959 season. Elgin Baylor thrilled basketball fans with his spectacular moves long before the stars of today.  His dominance on the court continued with his selection as a NBA All Star eleven times and All NBA First Team (10 seasons).  After retirement from the NBA Baylor became an assistant and later head coach of the New Orleans Jazz and in 1986 became the Los Angeles Clippers vice president of operations where he served for 22 years.  In 2006 Baylor was selected as the NBA Executive of the year.  He was honored with an induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977. He died on March 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California at age 86.