“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” said his wife, Elaine, in a statement from the team. “And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all the fans. At this point, we ask that I and our family may mourn his passing in privacy.”
According to the Lakers, Baylor died with Elaine and his daughter, Krystal, by his side.
He played his entire career with the Lakers, including two seasons when the franchise was still based in Minneapolis.
“Elgin was THE superstar of his day – his many accolades speak of that,” said Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. “He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. More importantly, he was a man of great integrity.”
The Lakers retired from its number 22 jersey in 1983.
The National Basketball Players Association said Baylor had a profound influence on the game and the players who followed him.
“Throughout his playing career, Elgin has been a strong voice for the collective group, which stood up for guaranteed benefits and improved working conditions for all players,” the union said. “Elgin’s early advocacy played a vital role in the formation of our union and we are forever grateful to him for his courage and contributions.”
Baylor was also a longtime NBA manager, joining the Los Angeles Clippers in 1986 as vice president of basketball activities, according to the league.
In 2006, he was selected as the competition’s executive of the year. He left the team two years later and later unsuccessfully sued the team for age discrimination.
NBA legend and college basketball analyst Charles Barkley said Baylor was a nice person he spent a lot of time with over the years.
“To me he is probably the most underrated great basketball player of all time,” said Barkley. “It was an honor and a privilege to be around him. But he has always behaved himself with great dignity and respect. ‘