NBA legend Elgin Baylor dies at 86

Elgin Baylor, the NBA legend who starred for 14 seasons for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, died Monday, the Lakers announced. He was 86. The Lakers said Baylor died of natural causes at his home, surrounded by his wife and daughter.

Baylor has been credited with helping transform professional basketball. A high flyer with a sweet stroke, he helped usher in a new era of faster-paced hoops. He's still considered one of the greatest players of all time, earning 11 All Star nods throughout his career, and leading the Lakers to eight finals appearances (he retired in the middle of the 1971-2 season, when the Lakers won the title, because of injuries.)

Baylor's numbers are eye-popping to this day. His most impressive season probably came in 1961-2, when he averaged more than 38 points and just under 19 rebounds, all while serving in the Army. Tim O'Donnell

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