..... just saw on line that Elgin passed away. That is really sad. He was GREAT. I remember a quote once that if Julius Erving was a doctor, Elgin Baylor was a brain surgeon. He and Jerry and Chick came to L.A. and brought us professional basketball. https://www.yahoo.com/sports/elgin-...mer-and-lakers-star-dies-at-86-183922067.html
Good quote LT. Elgin was Dr. J before there was a Dr. J. He was the first of the great athletic wings. In his three years run from 1960-63 he put up amazing numbers. 34.8 / 19.8 / 5.1 38.3 / 18.6 / 4.6 34.0 / 14.3 / 4.8
In his book of basketball, Bill Simmons have a great story of Elgin's dominance. I always like that story, performing under adversity. Edit: Faigen mentioned it in his tweets
That’s an incredible response from Chick without hesitation on the best player he’d ever seen coming off the 80s with Kareem and Magic in their primes and Jordan well into his, 6 years in the league. Holy crap! I’d have guessed he would have said Kareem or Magic or Jordan. Who would not have guessed one of those guys from a straight shooter like him.
Great player...honorable man (imagine GM'ing the Clippers?). The Bryant statements says it all. R.IP. Legend.
And the “Euro Step” 50 years in front of it being called that and catching on! The proof in the footage above in one of those clips.
His style of play was the mold for all of the following athletic swingmen. He was a basketball pioneer.
I just wish that the Clippers would have treated him right. Unfortunately for me, when I started watching the Lakers, all I really saw was Jerry West. I was 3 and I was star struck. I was listening for years when Elgin was playing but it was when I was 3-10 years old or so. The year that I really understood everything and became a real fan of the team and not of just Jerry West was when they won 33 games in a row and that was the year that Baylor retired. I kick myself for not being a better fan then and having more appreciation of what I had the chance to witness.
RIP to a legend A bit shamed to admit it, he's probably the Laker legend I've always known the least about. Going to try to correct that this week
There was a superb tribute to him last night on Spectrum Lakers channel. It was first rate and really informative about his career and what he was like. He was a dominant pioneering player who basically modernized the NBA with his athletic and graceful game and he was an incredible gentleman off the court. R.I.P. Elgin the legend.
My grandpa was the first Lakers fan in our entire family and Baylor was his favorite athlete by far. Baylor passing away is the equivalent of Kobe passing away for us. RIP Baylor.
