Elgin Baylor, one of the NBA's first stars, has been lauded in just about every conceivable way. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, and in 1983, had his No. 22 jersey retired by the only franchise for which he played.
Now, the Lakers are set to add Baylor as a permanent fixture of the Los Angeles landscape, as the team announced they'll unveil Baylor's statue alongside fellow legendary Lakers alumni on April 6.
"It's something people have been talking to me about for some time," Baylor told The Orange Country Register's Bill Oram. "I'm honored to have it happen."
After playing his first two NBA seasons in Minneapolis, Baylor followed the team to Los Angeles when they relocated in 1960. Over 14 seasons, Baylor averaged 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He notably retired nine games into the 1971-72 season - which would ultimately become the team's first title campaign since moving to L.A.
"I don't know how Iām going to react or anything once I see it, because nothing like that has ever happened before," Baylor said. "But I'm sure that I will enjoy it."
