The former Los Angeles Lakers icon has died from natural causes at the age of 86 and the basketball community is quick to pay tribute to the late star on social media.
- March 23, 2021
AceShowbiz - Basketball Hall of Fame icon Elgin Baylor has died at the age of 86.
The former Los Angeles Lakers legend, who served as the Los Angeles Clippers' general manager for decades, passed away from natural causes on Monday (22Mar21) with his wife, Elaine, and their daughter by his side.
Baylor, an 11-time NBA All-Star, played for the Lakers from 1958 to 1971 and moved with the team from Minnesota to Los Angeles in 1960. He played in eight NBA Finals with the team, but never won the championship.
Paying tribute to the sportsman, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss says, "Elgin was the superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that."
"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."
Considered a Lakers legend, Baylor's number 22 jersey has been retired and a statue of the great man stands outside the Lakers and Clippers' Staples Center home.
Magic Johnson also paid tribute to the athelete as he fondly remembered the late star on Twitter, "RIP to the NBA's first high flyer, Lakers Legend, & Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor. Before there was Michael Jordan doing amazing things in the air, there was Elgin Baylor! A true class act and great man, I'll always appreciate the advice he shared with me when I first came into the league. Cookie and I are praying for his wife Elaine, kids, and the entire Baylor family."
