Elgin Baylor joined the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958 after starring at Seattle, averaging 24.9 points, 15 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. His athletic wing play helped reshape the NBA and take the Lakers to the Finals, where they lost to Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics.
In 1960, the Lakers moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and drafted Jerry West, forming a celebrated pairing with Baylor. Baylor and the team lost to Boston in the Finals seven times before his retirement early in 1971–72; afterward, the Lakers won 33 straight games and their first title since 1954.
