American · Washington, D.C., USA · Born 16 September 1934 · Died 2021-03-22Seattle University forward who led the Chieftains to the 1958 NCAA championship game and became one of college basketball's most graceful and gifted scorers before an NBA Hall of Fame career.
Elgin Gay Baylor was born on 16 September 1934 in Washington, D.C., and began his college career at the College of Idaho in 1954 before transferring to Seattle University for the 1956-57 season. His arrival transformed the program, and by his senior year he had established himself as the most dominant player in the country - leading the nation in rebounding and finishing second in scoring average. In the 1957-58 season, Baylor led Seattle to a stunning run through the NCAA tournament, defeating a No. 4-ranked San Francisco team and a No. 3 Kansas State side to reach the national championship game against Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats. Despite a rib injury suffered in the semifinal win, Baylor scored 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the final, though Seattle fell 84-72 in front of a hostile, all-white crowd in Louisville. His 135 points across the tournament set a scoring record and earned him Most Outstanding Player honors. Baylor averaged 31.2 points and 19.8 rebounds over his 54-game college career, was a two-time All-American, and won the Helms Foundation Player of the Year award in 1958. He still holds Seattle University's all-time records for career scoring average and rebounding, and his No. 22 has been retired by the school. Selected first overall in the 1958 NBA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers, Baylor went on to an 11-time All-Star career, redefining the forward position with his acrobatic scoring style before his Hall of Fame induction in 1977. He died on 22 March 2021 in Los Angeles at age 86.
Leading Seattle University to the 1958 NCAA championship game while playing through a rib injury, becoming the school's greatest basketball player and setting a tournament scoring record
How They Played
Explosive, acrobatic scorer and rebounder whose hang-time and body control were years ahead of his era, dominant on the glass despite standing only 6-foot-5
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of the most gifted and graceful forwards in basketball history, whose college heroics at Seattle launched an NBA Hall of Fame career that redefined how the small forward position could be played
Career Honours
- 1958 NCAA Tournament Runner-Up and Most Outstanding Player
- 1958 Helms Foundation Player of the Year
- 2x Consensus All-American (1957, 1958)
- 2x NCAA Rebounding Leader (1957, 1958)
American Athletes