An all-around talent who was among the first to take jump shots regularly, those who look back on the outstanding career of Hall of Fame forward Elgin Baylor will say that he ahead of his time.

To his peers, Baylor would “revolutionize” the sport, as former teammate Gail Goodrich tells Peter Vecsey on the Hoop du Jour podcast.

“He, in many ways, helped revolutionize the game,” Goodrich starts. “I mean he had remarkable skills.”

“He'd take the ball off the defensive rebound, and he'd go the length of the field on the dribble and beat everybody down the court. He was so quick and so strong. He could hang in the air
 he was just head and shoulders — skill-wise — above everybody else.”

 

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Baylor passed away Mar. 2021 and was subsequently honored by the Lakers, the NBA, and stars such as LeBron James.

The former first overall pick was an 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection and the 1959 Rookie of the Year. Though his last two seasons were marred by injury, particularly a torn Achilles, Baylor still ended his illustrious career with eye-popping averages of 27.4 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

Baylor also stood out for his refusal to accept racism and oppression. One story told about the D.C. native is how he refused to play in an exhibition game soon after he joined the Lakers because the hotel refused to serve him and two other players. While similar stories around this time focus on the character and strength of men like Bill Russell, Baylor was right there too, revolutionizing the game with more than his athletic feats.