Los Angeles Lakers: 30 greatest individual performances in team history

Los Angeles Lakers: 30 greatest individual performances in team history: 16. Elgin Baylor makes history

Maybe it’s because his highlight tapes are a bit grainy. Or maybe it’s because the footage is in black and white. Whatever the excuse is, Elgin Baylor deserves a lot more respect than what he gets.

The 100 point game of Wilt Chamberlain is remembered and always revisited, Kobe Bryant’s 81 point game was an unforgettable night. But before any of that took place, Elgin Baylor lit the league up and produced its first game of over 70 points.

On November 15th in 1960, there was nothing Baylor couldn’t do. Well, other than pass as he only registered one assist that night. Other than that, Baylor embarrassed the New York Knicks, he scored 71 points and grabbed 25 rebounds. He may have shot the ball 48 times but he found a way to shoot 58.3% from the field. Remember, during the 1960s, the 3-point line wasn’t around, making his 71 point game that much more difficult.

As previously mentioned, it was the first time in NBA history that someone scored at least 70 points in a game. The Lakers cruised to a win on the night and for the rest of Baylor’s career, it became the norm for him to give everybody the business on the court.