An athletic force that the NBA had yet to see, Elgin Baylor was best known for launching himself to the hoop and hanging in the air for what seemed like a lifetime before finally contorting his body and scoring.
On Friday, Baylor’s likeness will be immortalized for a lifetime and beyond, as the Lakers will unveil a 16-foot-9, 1,500-pound statue of the Hall of Famer outside of STAPLES Center.
Baylor’s honor comes 60 years after the Minneapolis Lakers drafted him first overall out of Seattle University.
The Washington, D.C. native shined for the Lakers over the next 14 years. He earned 11 All-Star nods and a Rookie of the Year trophy. While the Lakers moved to Los Angeles before his third season, Baylor never suited up for another franchise.
He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds across his career from 1958-71.
Though his gaudy numbers leap out of record books, his tape is even more impressive.
He dropped 71 points in a single game against the Knicks, and later set a still-remaining NBA Finals record by racking up 61 points in Game 5 of the 1962 championship series (while also hauling in 22 rebounds).
And he amassed all of those points without the help of a 3-point line.
Instead, the 6-foot-5 small forward relied on his superior athleticism. Baylor’s blend of strength, quickness and body control was decades ahead of his competition.
Baylor played in the NBA Finals eight times, yet never won that elusive ring. However, he did something much more difficult during the 1961-62 season.
He averaged 38.8 points and 18.6 rebounds that year — all while serving as a member of the United States Army Reserve.
Baylor — who would have been ineligible for service if he were one inch taller — spent his weeks stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington. He was granted a weekend pass to play for the Lakers, and would fly commercially to wherever they were playing.
Now 83 years old, Baylor is set to receive the franchise’s greatest honor 41 years after entering the Hall of Fame and 35 years since having his jersey retired.
To this day, Baylor remains the Lakers’ all-time leader in rebounds. On this day, he will become the fifth Laker to receive the bronze treatment from the purple and gold.