Baller of the Day: Elgin Baylor

» October 13, 2008 5:30 AM | By Brandon Hoffman

Elgin Baylor

Career Statistics

27.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, 13.5 RPG, 43 FG%, 78 FT%

“Had Elgin Baylor been born 25 years later, his acrobatic moves would have been captured on video, his name emblazoned on sneakers, and his face plastered on cereal boxes. But he played before the days of widespread television exposure, so among the only records of his prowess that remain are the words of those who saw one of the greatest ever to play.

‘He was one of the most spectacular shooters the game has ever known,’ Baylor’s longtime teammate Jerry West told HOOP magazine in 1992. ‘I hear people talking about forwards today and I haven’t seen many that can compare with him.’

Strong and graceful at 6-5 and 225 pounds, Baylor averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds during his 14-year career with the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers. In 134 playoff games, he averaged 27.0 points and 12.9 rebounds.

From 1960-61 through 1962-63 he averaged 34.8, 38.3, and 34.0 points, respectively. He led the Lakers to the NBA Finals eight times, was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection, and played in 11 NBA All-Star Games.” [Read]

[Note: RSS readers, there is a video within this blog]

[Sources: NBA.com, YouTube, Basketball-Reference.com]


Leave Your Comment