RIP - Elgin

[clipperlover]

Can't believe no one started a thread yet.

I'll never forget the chat we had outside the Sports Arena. Elgin was sitting on his car. We talked about the upcoming 1997 NBA Draft and he was very high on Keith Van Horn.

That year we slipped into the playoffs because David Robinson was hurt, so we ended up with Mo Taylor at 14. Only about 5000 people in the Sports Arena, but it was so loud as the playoff excitement was in the air. The lack of people is why he was so accessible.

[TrueLAfan]

One of the few things--the very, very, very few things--that gave us any credibility for any length of time during Sterling's tenure was Elgin Baylor. People under 40 don't really get how significant of a figure Elgin Baylor was in the NBA. I always felt bad for him because Sterling was using his legacy and so little understanding or valuing of it. After he left the Clippers, Elgin moved on--didn't talk about his time, treated it like the (lousy) job it was. He wasn't a great GM, but I always got the sense that Elgin would listen to people--people that the Clippers wouldn't hire because Sterling was so cheap.

I'll remember his legacy as a player; the first real above the rim player; a forerunner of the modern combo forward. He's a true legend of the NBA and deserves to be remembered that way.

[Clemenza]

RIP to the legend. Sad he had to put up with scumbag Donald Sterling all those years as the team's GM. He'll definitely be missed

[Wammy Giveaway]

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Why no retired jerseys? It may have to do with having zero championships. Clippers felt that retiring a player without a championship to back it up makes the whole thing feel empty, meaningless. They wanted everything to be perfect. If one single tiny microscopic little thing goes wrong, then everything goes wrong. Clippers are still suffering from the Corspe Bride syndrome.

The time has come for the Clippers to swallow their pride and stop following a script. Nothing in life is ever perfect; you have to accept that mid-life changes will always come your way. Think of those hurdles as a challenge, not a deterrent. Don't write a completely new book just because the intented narrative is ruined. If the story was changed against your will, write a new ending - there is always time to set things right.

[clipsfever]

Have to admit I was also deeply enamored of Pike, Lamond and Rodney Rogers as college players.

[clipperlover]

I understand where Ron Harper is coming from, but Elgin does not need to have a jersey retired. We can blame Sterling for being a cheapskate and not re-signing Clippers players, but can anyone point to a Clippers player Elgin drafted or traded for on draft day that played for the Clippers that went on to be a superstar somewhere else?

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAC/draft.html

His teams won a total of 1 playoff series.

I say this as a guy that personally went to the Clippers Front Office and left a note for Elgin asking him to re-sign Mo Taylor for the max.

[BenchOnaQUEST]

Another legend leaves this world. RIP Elgin...

[donemilio21]

I never had any interactions with him, but I remember noticing him every time I went to a game.
I believe he will always be remembered as one of the all time greats and a Lakers legend. We should just forget him being an executive ever.

[esqtvd]

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