Hall of Fame Los Angeles Lakers legend and former Los Angeles Clippers executive Elgin Baylor has died. He was 86.
On Monday, the Lakers announced the news on Twitter that Baylor was surrounded by his wife, Elaine, and their daughter Krystal.
“Elgin was THE superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that,” Lakers President Jeanie Buss said in a statement via Twitter. “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. He is one of the all-time Lakers greats with his No. 22 jersey retired in the rafters and his statue standing guard in front of STAPLES Center. He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers, and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family.”
According to the team's statement the 11-time NBA All-Star died of natural causes.
Baylor was the first player in NBA history to score more than 70 points in a game when he scored 71 points against New York on Dec. 11, 1960, The AP reported.
Baylor also served as an executive for the Los Angeles Clippers from 1986 until 2008.
Baylor was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.
The team said funeral arrangements are pending.
