Elgin Baylor Era

Lore & Background

The Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of August 2024, the Lakers are second in the NBA's all-time records for wins (approximately 3,500) and winning percentage (approximately .588 or .589), and hold the all-time record for most NBA Finals appearances (32). They are second in NBA championship wins with 17, just behind the Boston Celtics with 18 NBA titles, and with ten more Finals appearances than the Celtics, their biggest rival. Their team has had many NBA legends, including George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Clyde Lovellette, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.

In Their Own Story

The Forum lights hummed overhead as Baylor dribbled at half-court, the ball feeling like an extension of his hand. The crowd fell silent, holding its breath for the signature move. He drove baseline, absorbing contact from a defender twice his size before exploding upward. For a split second, he hung in the air above the rim, defying gravity itself, before slamming the leather through the net with thunderous force.

Reader's Guide

The Lakers moved to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season, becoming the NBA's first West Coast team. They added point guard Jerry West and hired his college coach Fred Schaus to helm the team. Chick Hearn was hired as the Lakers' play-by-play announcer. Behind Elgin Baylor's 34.8 points per game and 19.8 rebounds per game, the new Los Angeles Lakers improved on the previous year's results before losing to the Hawks in the Western Conference Finals. Baylor and West both finished among the NBA's top 10 scorers for the next four years. During the 1961–62 season, Baylor was called to active military duty following the Berlin crisis and was only available on weekends, yet he and West averaged 38.3 and 30.8 points per game respectively. The Lakers made the NBA Finals that season but lost to the Celtics. Baylor set a record for most points scored in a playoff game with 61, which stood for 25 years.

Did You Know?

• Elgin Baylor was known by the nicknames 'Elgin the Great' or 'Mr. Inside'.
• Baylor scored 61 points in a playoff game, a record that stood for 25 years.