Elgin Baylor understood the difference. Elgin made many sacrifices, but he never surrendered. He was a man that understood when it was time to walk through the fire and when it was not.

Elgin Baylor, the Los Angeles Lakers’ first superstar and one of the greatest players in NBA history, died Monday, the Lakers announced. He was 86.

In the 1990s, Elgin Baylor’s Clippers co-workers sometimes referred to the general manager around the office as “legend.” The nickname wasn’t hyperbole. During 14 seasons with the Lakers ...

Elgin Baylor was the first great Los Angeles Laker — and their most forgotten legend Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain, left, passes to Elgin Baylor during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan ...

FILE - Elgin Baylor stands next to a statue, just unveiled, honoring the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers great, outside Staples Center in Los Angeles, in this Friday, April 6, 2018, file photo.

Elgin Baylor, who died Monday at 86, was the kind of player whom every kid — in his NBA heyday or today — dreams about being.

Elgin Baylor, a Hall of Fame forward who helped lead the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers to eight NBA Finals, driving to the hoop and soaring above the rim with a gravity-defying style that ...

Baylor, who played for the Lakers for 14 seasons and was an All-Star 11 times, was 86. “Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend,” his wife, Elaine, said in a statement provided by the ...

“Elgin Baylor was a truly gifted athlete with abilities beyond all expectations for his era,” President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame John L. Doleva said.

Elgin Baylor in 1960. (NBA Photos/Getty Images) By Andy Gray On this day in 1960, Lakers forward Elgin Baylor scored a record 71 points in a 123-108 victory ...

Elgin Baylor’s N.B.A. legacy will loom large in basketball history. But the time our columnist’s father managed to defend Baylor for a half became a cherished part of family lore.