“Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” said his wife, Elaine, in a statement provided by the team. “And like everyone else, I was amazed at his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave all the fans. At this point, we ask that my family and I can mourn his death in privacy.”
According to the Lakers, Baylor died with Elaine and her daughter, Krystal, at her side.
He played with the Lakers throughout his career, including two seasons when the franchise was still based in Minneapolis.
“Elgin was the superstar of his era – his high praise speaks to that,” said Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. “He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But most importantly, he was a man of great integrity.”
The Lakers retired their number 22 jersey in 1983.
Baylor was also a longtime NBA executive, joining the Los Angeles Clippers in 1986 as vice president of basketball operations, according to the league.
In 2006, he was elected the league’s executive of the year. He left the team two years later and later unsuccessfully sued the team for age discrimination.
NBA legend and college basketball analyst Charles Barkley said Baylor was a kind person with whom he spent a lot of time over the years.
“For me, he is probably the most underrated great basketball player of all time,” said Barkley. “It was an honor and a privilege to be close to him. But he always behaved with great dignity and respect.”