Lakers to Honor Elgin Baylor with Statue Outside Staples Center

The Los Angeles Lakers will honor Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor with a statue outside of the Staples Center, according to Bill Oram of the Orange County Register.

"It's something people have been talking to me about for some time," Baylor told Oram. "I'm honored to have it happen."

"I am thrilled that 60 years after the Minneapolis Lakers drafted Elgin, we are able to celebrate and honor him with a statue," Lakers controlling owner and president Jeanie Buss added, per Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints.

Baylor, 83, spent his entire career with the Lakers, starting with the team in Minneapolis in the 1958-59 season before retiring just nine games into the 1971-72 season in Los Angeles. He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game and was an 11-time All-Star, though he was never able to win a title despite reaching the NBA Finals seven times.

After his playing career, he spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the New Orleans Jazz before taking over as head coach in the 1976-77 campaign. He went 86-135 with the team before stepping down after the 1978-79 season.

He then was hired to be the vice president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers in 1986, a position he held for 22 years. 

As Ward noted, Baylor joins Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and former team broadcaster Francis "Chick" Hearn as famous members of the organization to have statues outside the Staples Center.

"I was just happy to be part of the organization for all those years, just to be a professional player and play, but really I never have given it any thought about them giving me a statue or anything like that," Baylor told Oram.

According to Oram, the Lakers will hold a ceremony to unveil the statue before they play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, April 6.

"I don't know how I'm going to react or anything once I see it, because nothing like that has ever happened before," Baylor noted. "But I'm sure that I will enjoy it. Will get an opportunity to probably see some of the people I played basketball with, some of the guys. And I think it should be an interesting day, a fun day."