Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor was one of the most influential and dynamic players in basketball history. A forward for the Minneapolis and later Los Angeles Lakers from 1958 to 1971, Baylor revolutionized the game with his above-the-rim style of play, long before it became commonplace. Known for his incredible athleticism, acrobatic drives, and graceful jump shots, Baylor brought flair and finesse to the court, combining scoring prowess with elite rebounding and playmaking.
Despite serving in the military and missing significant time during his career, Baylor averaged an astonishing 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He once scored 71 points in a single game and holds the record for most points in an NBA Finals game with 61. A perennial All-Star, he was selected to 11 All-Star Games and 10 All-NBA First Teams.
Although he never won an NBA championship, Baylor’s impact transcended titles. He helped lead the Lakers to eight Finals appearances and laid the foundation for the team’s future success. Off the court, Baylor was a trailblazer, becoming one of the league’s first Black superstars. His legacy lives on as a pioneer who reshaped the small forward position and helped usher the NBA into the modern era.
Elgin Baylor Regular Season Stats
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | BLK | STL | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TOV | OREB | DREB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1958-59 | 70 | 7:01 | 24.7 | 11.7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.6 | 16.4 | 52.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.5 | 9.6 | 78.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1959-60 | 70 | 5:19 | 29.6 | 14.9 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.8 | 18.9 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 10.9 | 74.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1960-61 | 73 | 9:50 | 34.8 | 19.8 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.8 | 22.3 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 11.8 | 78.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1961-62 | 48 | 15:17 | 38.3 | 18.4 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.2 | 29.4 | 48.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.9 | 13.1 | 75.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1962-63 | 80 | 20:57 | 34.0 | 12.9 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.9 | 23.9 | 53.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 9.9 | 83.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1963-64 | 78 | 18:03 | 25.4 | 11.7 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.7 | 22.6 | 43.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.0 | 7.5 | 80.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1964-65 | 74 | 17:55 | 27.1 | 11.8 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.3 | 23.9 | 43.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.5 | 8.2 | 79.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1965-66 | 65 | 17:59 | 16.6 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.4 | 15.1 | 42.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 73.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1966-67 | 70 | 19:42 | 26.6 | 11.8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.2 | 20.3 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 7.7 | 81.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1967-68 | 77 | 24:07 | 26.0 | 11.8 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.8 | 20.7 | 47.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 78.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1968-69 | 76 | 23:02 | 24.8 | 10.1 | 4.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.6 | 20.5 | 46.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 74.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1969-70 | 54 | 40:51 | 24.0 | 10.0 | 5.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.5 | 19.5 | 48.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 77.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1970-71 | 2 | 28:30 | 10.0 | 5.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 42.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 66.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1971-72 | 9 | 26:33 | 11.8 | 6.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 10.8 | 43.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 81.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 846 | 18:11 | 27.3 | 12.7 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.3 | 20.9 | 49.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 78.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 846 | 18:11 | 27.3 | 12.7 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.3 | 20.9 | 49.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 78.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Elgin Baylor Playoff Stats
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | BLK | STL | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TOV | OREB | DREB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958-59 | 13 | 19:27 | 25.5 | 10.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.4 | 23.3 | 40.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 8.7 | 77.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1959-60 | 9 | 11:13 | 33.4 | 10.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.3 | 24.0 | 51.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.8 | 10.4 | 84.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1960-61 | 12 | 31:10 | 38.1 | 13.6 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.2 | 25.5 | 55.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.8 | 11.8 | 82.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1961-62 | 13 | 27:18 | 38.6 | 17.7 | 2.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 14.3 | 32.7 | 43.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 12.9 | 77.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1962-63 | 13 | 43:13 | 32.6 | 13.6 | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.3 | 27.8 | 44.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 9.7 | 82.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1963-64 | 5 | 44:12 | 24.2 | 11.6 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.0 | 23.8 | 37.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.2 | 8.0 | 77.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1964-65 | 1 | 5:00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1965-66 | 14 | 41:51 | 26.8 | 14.1 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 23.4 | 44.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 81.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1966-67 | 3 | 0:00 | 23.7 | 13.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 25.3 | 36.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 75.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1967-68 | 15 | 36:56 | 28.5 | 14.5 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.7 | 25.1 | 46.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 67.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1968-69 | 18 | 35:36 | 15.4 | 9.4 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.9 | 15.4 | 38.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.5 | 5.4 | 64.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 1969-70 | 18 | 37:03 | 18.7 | 9.6 | 4.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.7 | 16.4 | 46.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 74.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 134 | 32:13 | 27.0 | 12.4 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 23.0 | 45.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 8.2 | 77.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 134 | 32:13 | 27.0 | 12.4 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 10.4 | 23.0 | 45.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.3 | 8.2 | 77.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Elgin Baylor Best Ten Games (Points)
| Date | Opponent | MIN | PTS | AST | REB | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TOV | OREB | DREB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 1960 | New York Knicks (W) | 45:00 | 71 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 48 | 0.58 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 15 | 19 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 08, 1959 | Boston Celtics (W) | 64 | 8 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 47 | 0.53 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 14 | 19 | 0.74 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 08, 1961 | Philadelphia Warriors (W) | 63 | 7 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 55 | 0.42 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 17 | 24 | 0.71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Apr 14, 1962 | Boston Celtics (W) | 48:00 | 61 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 46 | 0.48 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 17 | 19 | 0.90 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 16, 1961 | Detroit Pistons (W) | 57 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 45 | 0.51 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 11 | 14 | 0.79 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jan 24, 1961 | Syracuse Nationals (W) | 56 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 30 | 0.63 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 20 | 0.90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Feb 25, 1959 | Cincinnati Royals (W) | 55 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 38 | 0.58 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 11 | 17 | 0.65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dec 11, 1961 | St. Louis Hawks (W) | 43:00 | 52 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 39 | 0.54 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 15 | 0.67 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 13, 1961 | St. Louis Hawks (W) | 52:00 | 52 | 10 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 41 | 0.44 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 17 | 0.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 1960 | Detroit Pistons (W) | 52 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 21 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 | 0 |