Elgin Baylor died earlier this week at the age of 86. The NBA legend provided a blueprint for the aerial evolution of the game during his illustrious career.
Native Washington, DC had a revolutionary feel to the game. His best skill was second to none. And he paved the way for high-flying Connie Hawkins, Julius Erving, and Michael Jordan, among others.
Veteran journalist David Aldridge provided a concise summary of Baylor’s splendor. After Baylor’s death, the Editor-in-Chief of Athletic DC said:
But how did it start?
Baylor, who won first place overall in the 1958 NBA Draft from Seattle University, made his debut on October 22, 1958.
It was a great debut.. Baylor scored 25 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists when the Minneapolis Lakers defeated the Cincinnati Royals 99-79.
Supported by Baylor’s high octane energy and spectacular athletic performance, the Lakers jumped to a 32-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Amarillo (Texas) Globe Times The next day, we published the Associated Press game report from Minneapolis on page 30 of the 84-page edition.
Elgin Baylor made a big splash
The Texas newspaper article began as follows:
“All-American Elgin Baylor took only eight seconds to get on the scoreboard in his first professional basketball game and only one night to fire Fancy, a fan of the Minnea Police Lakers.
“Seattle University’s 6-6 rookie scored 25 points in the National Basketball Association’s debut last night, beating the Lakers 99-79 over the Cincinnati Royals.
“”Baylor’s professional career began with all theatrical traps.
“He got out of bed and joined the armored autumn caravan behind the National Guard, who guided his teammates to the auditorium.
“”The Lakers promoter had a place illuminated like a Hollywood premiere and sent an entertainer relay in front of a slightly unpleasant crowd of 3,500-4,000 spectators.“”
Balanced performance
AP reporters said Elgin Baylor is a star attraction in the game.
“He got them to cheer for the opening second and kept the rest of the game that way,” AP reported. “His driving jump shot for the first eight seconds gave Minneapolis an unbeatable lead. He hit the first eight points of the Lakers game and scored 16 points in halftime …”
Baylor finished 21:10 from the field and sank five out of seven free throws.
Royals coach Bobby Wanzer was impressed with what he saw about Baylor.
“He works very well like Maurice Stokes,” said Wanzer, comparing the Lakers rookie to the former Royals star. (The 1956 NBA Rookie of the Year Maurice Stokes career ended the previous season due to a brain injury.)
View from the Lakers bench
Lakers coach John Kundla said in the AP’s earlier report that Baylor has great potential.
Kundra described Baylor as “a great outlook, a man who can be one of the real stars in this league.”
“He was very successful in the opening game,” Kundra added. Died in July 2017 at the age of 101.. “He made a mistake in defense, but I have to say that he was more defensive than average for the rookie.”
Indeed, it was a sign of more great things coming to Elgin Baylor’s Hall of Fame career.
