Another legend lost, as Elgin Baylor has passed away.
His career was before my time, but he was featured in quite a few NBA Home Videos back in the 90s that discussed the history of the league, so I learned about him not long after I got into basketball. I always remember that clip of Bob Cousy talking about him being one of the league's earliest high flyers, making the quip that he was the first to rise up and have a cup of coffee before finally coming down again. Obviously he's got some impressive stats and accomplishments. It's a shame he called it quits before the 1972 Lakers went on to have an historic run to the championship.
He also had a tough gig as the GM for the Clippers for so many years, and I think some of his better moves and draft picks fly under the radar because it unfortunately wasn't enough to make them successful outside of token Playoff appearances here and there. Of course, it's difficult to build anything when you've got an owner that's alienating players left and right.
It certainly impresses upon me how time is moving on, and we're getting to the point where these big names from the early days are quite elderly now and we're starting to lose more of them. I know there's a bit of a backlash against nostalgia and previous eras, but I hope we never lose respect for how players like Elgin Baylor paved the way, and that we appreciate their legacy. RIP.