Elgin Baylor: A major figure in L.A. pro basketball
PRO BASKETBALL
Before his tenure as Clippers general manager, Baylor was a spectacularly talented player with the Lakers in the 1960s, an NBA precursor to Dr. J and Michael Jordan.
* NBA: Elgin Baylor was a fixture on the L.A. basketball scene for nearly a half-century.
* LAKERS: He was the Lakers superstar when the team moved to L.A. in 1960. His moves were so flashy that older fans say Dr. J, Jordan and Kobe were simply Baylor copycats. He scored 71 points in a regular-season game in 1960, then an NBA record. He still holds the record for an NBA Finals game with 61 points against Boston in 1962. A Hall of Fame forward with the Lakers for 14 seasons, he averaged 27.4 points a game and was an 11-time All-Star. He retired during the 1971-72 season.
* CLIPPERS JOB: Baylor joined the Clippers as vice president of basketball operations in 1986. In his 22 seasons the Clippers had 19 losing seasons, 13 coaches, and made the playoffs only four times.
* TOP DRAFT PICKS: So the Clippers were fixtures in the lottery. Baylor's best picks: Danny Manning, Lamar Odom, Chris Kaman. Worst: Yaroslav Korolev, Randy Woods, LeRon Ellis.
* BEST TRADE: Baylor acquired Elton Brand from Chicago in 2001. With Brand, the Clippers made it to the second round of the 2006 playoffs; that season Baylor was named NBA executive of the year by The Sporting News.
-- Barry Stavro
