The Most UNDERRATED Player Ever...

[@jonnyarnett]

Elgin is my pick as the Most Underrated Player of all time. Who’s yours?

[@78Richardab]

Hangtime...do you know what it is?

[@78Richardab]

Cant argue with Elgin as your pick.

[@stephensandin451]

Michael Ray Richardson and Elgin Baylor

[@YoutubeSugit]

Moses Malone

[@nathanlawson313]

Isiah Thomas

[@janetrpkov9094]

You know someone is underrated when they barely mention him in most underrated player lists

[@tbmoffittiii]

Iceman 14 I think some of you here are mistaking "underrated" with 'forgotten'.

[@janetrpkov9094]

@@tbmoffittiii facts

[@davonbenson4361]

Facts!

[@nonanimeprofilepic]

he's not underrated he was a top 5 player of his time. He's just forgotten because lack of rings

[@jemarwilliams9609]

@@nonanimeprofilepic he should be label as top 10 all time

[@zyrover]

I'm here after learning of Mr. Baylor's passing. He is definitely one of the Laker Legends. Rest In Power, Elgin Baylor...

[@cyrillesu]

Elgin was really the first MODERN player in NBA history. What most players are doing now, he was doing in the 1960s. He looked almost unfazed when he drops 50 points and 20 rebounds on you. He was just so smooth when it came to playing the game. It's a shame that 90 percent of modern NBA fans don't even know who he is.

[@CarlosFernandez-r8o]

Everything the Doctor did,he did first. Just like with Michael.

[@bernzion3000]

He was ahead of his time look at the way he score , moves etc

[@deechambers5959]

Wilt Chamberlain once called him the best player of all time

[@aricohen283]

That was most probably an attempt to spite Bill Russell

[@thomasdemay9805]

@@aricohen283 probably not. Wilt didn't need to spite Russell he would just come out and say he was better than Russell. Wilt was more likely talking about best player not counting him or Russell since they were the obvious top two, compared to each other, both played center etc. Was probably his pick of best non Center ever.

[@etxsports5836]

Eurostepping before the Eurostep

[@aricohen283]

Thomas DeMay Considering he played with a peak Jerry West, I highly doubt he thought Elgin was the GOAT non-center

[@elbowgang9715]

@@thomasdemay9805 Wilt called Elgin that because he used to play summer ball with Elgin in D.C. in the late 50s before he started going to the Rucker in the 60s

[@my1968camaro]

Thank you, Jonny. Your tribute to him moved me. I am 66 years old, and I have seen them all... He is undoubtedly the greatest forward of all time, and after Wilt Chamberlain, should be in the discussion with MJ as perhaps the 2nd greatest player at any position in the history of the game. He dominated and innovated the game of basketball forever, a case very well made by Bijan C Bayne in his biographical work: "Elgin Baylor - The Man Who Changed Basketball". The only thing you may have missed is that he suffered a serious knee injury in 1965, that plagued him until he retired early in the 1971--72 early. He averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds on one busted wheel for more than half of his career. Had he remained healthy, he would have easily averaged well over 30 points, and 15 rebounds for a career. Thank you again for honoring him.

[@vb14086]

Absolutely true Thank you for posting as Elgin was conscious of his unique talents but so very humble in never promoting his legend.

[@jeremiahturner2238]

I heard the news that he passed today Rest in Peace Elgin Baylor.

[@usuitakumi8673]

I pick you as one of the most underrated nba youtubers as of now (Hoping you might get a lot of followers soon) . As usual another great vid with awesome content from this channel

[@jonnyarnett]

Thanks a ton! I appreciate you and your support of my channel. Its coming along nicely :)

[@EJD339]

The great thing about this KZbin channel is you’re just a fan of the game and its history. You’re not talking trash or making subjective statement. You basically use facts to make your points and let the viewer think for themselves.

[@bobhobbs4332]

I agree wholeheartedly!!! Michael Jordan... Kobe...Dr. J....Vince...They are all players who built on the foundation Baylor laid!!!

[@valores99]

I watched him as a kid and he did things that we had never seen before. Amazing player!

[@king_supreme1102]

Yeah he is seriously never talked about

[@legendaryTMNICO]

Brayden Wormer He must have been overshadowed by the championships that were won by the Celtics.

[@sheldonpegram8421]

@@legendaryTMNICO that's bullshit. Wilt & Jerry West weren't overshadowed by the losses to Boston so why Elgin when he was a better player than both of them. Shit he was better than Oscar. He was the first of his kind.

[@carlosjohnson8625]

Elgin Baylor,the first above the rim player in NBA history. And very underrated.

[@lloydkline6946]

One of the first to score points over people like Jerry west

[@jemarwilliams9609]

@@lloydkline6946 dropped 61 with wilt and qest on team in nba finals

[@dimensionsofdominion6746]

I dnt think he was the 1st player...check out wilt chaimberlain archives short dunkers videos

[@KingBeckwood]

​@@dimensionsofdominion6746 Baylor was before wilt bro lol

[@tonyboots2958]

Great video! He’s definitely one of the most overlooked/underrated players ever, and to me, he is the best player that never won a championship.

[@louisvelez40]

This guy definitely deserves his recognition and was the greatest forward the Lakers ever had and his legacy does get overlooked. What a player and one of the greatest to ever play, a scoring machine. 61 points in the NBA finals is still a record to this day

[@sambeezy007]

Yes he does and the highest average too, over Jordan. This guy is the original SG/SF. If it wasn't for him there would be no Dr. J (One of Dr. J's favorites btw), and without Dr. J, no Jordan, Kobe, or Lebron (one of Lebron's favorites also)

[@shaft9000]

Elgin Baylor was the archetype for the modern NBA wing *AND* scorer....3 decades ahead of schedule.

[@terrytari1891]

Elgin would be the GOAT, if he was playing now as a young man!

[@chuckweicha1]

Unfortunate that over time guys like Baylor get lost in history. A lot of the 60's and 70's players aren't understood or appreciated nearly enough and a lot of fans think the world began in 1991. In his prime Baylor was good enough and his game versatile enough to play in any era, even today. The other thing about these guys is this is with primitive diet, training and travel in a time where the physicality of the game could be brutal, running up and down the court in canvass sneakers. The best way to really evaluate players isn't by numbers or even rings...it's by listening to the players that they played with and against and those players have always talked about Elgin in the conversation about the best ever, and always talked about him as a phenomenal teammate, competitor and person and it drives me crazy that great players from the past and what they went through in those days are forgotten or undersold...these are the men that gave us the game we have today and should never be forgotten.

[@Z_hri]

Baylor is actually one of the pioneers of dribbling , he was one of the first players to cross the ball over from one hand to the other

[@DrJohnnyJ]

He was the best forward of his time. First team all-pro for a decade. He led the Lakers in everything for years and as top 5 NBA in scoring, rebounding and assists.

[@amorodioamor4388]

I would compare him more to Barkley. And yes i saw him play. And I saw West and Wilt play also. I talk about Baylor all the time. In my world he's always been ranked very high

[@r.forrestblount9222]

He was far more skilled offensively than Barkley as a ballhandler, shooter, and scorer.

[@damarcusglover4631]

Who would you say is the greatest overall player of all time?

[@amorodioamor4388]

There are many answers to that question. The greatest specimen I ever saw was Wilt. I feel he could run and jump 48 minutes a game and not break a sweat. I feel he could beat anyone 1 on 1. swat every shot. But if someone told me you can pick one guy to build a team around I would pick Magic. He would gel with my next 4 picks and make them all better.

[@kaliigamez9728]

@@amorodioamor4388 u must have lucky to see all these decades of basketball would be awesome if u share that knowledge on the internet

[@amorodioamor4388]

KG. I do have a lot of info on the net. I am working on getting more out. The problem is fishing and betting on basketball take a lot of my time. I have now won over $11,000,000 betting on basketball.

[@othirareed3150]

He is the most overlooked player ever. He deserves more credit

[@JCA1147]

Your channel is underrated bro. Good vid.

[@jingqi9106]

Agreed, Elgin is the most underrated player ever with the great Rick Barry coming in a close second.

[@lloydkline6946]

Rick berry was Larry bird before Larry bird

[@ajanitor4981]

I agree and elvin hayes

[@impassable]

@@ajanitor4981 And Chris Webber

[@mysterion5136]

And Moses Malone

[@michaelcoolen8716]

Agree. I grew up watching him play at Seattle University, and I followed his career as best I could with the limited exposure the NBA had in those early years. Class guy.

[@zachezzman]

I went back to this video after hearing of the death of Elgin Baylor. I feel truly thankful to know how great of a basketball player he was before his passing. Rest In Peace Elgin Baylor.

[@mattcoale7804]

I totally agree! It is incomprehensible that the Lakers current ownership has absolutely no idea that Elgin Baylor is WHY the Buss Family owns the Lakers. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[@scottmunson2917]

As a child growing up in Los Angeles, I adored this man. It's hard to convey now, after so many years of watching other players take and develop Elgin's innovations, just how marvelous, shocking, breath-taking these moves were back in the 1960s. God Bless you, Elgin. You'll never be underrated in the hearts of people who got a chance to see you work your magic in your prime.

[@vb14086]

Scott, Thank for saying this, as I, too grew up in LA watching him, and even having had the good fortune of meeting him once as a kid. What a spectacular player - the best overall player I have even seen, and in that assessment I am joined ((;>) by the likes of Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Tommy Hawkins, Tommy Heinsohn, Chick Hearn, to name a few. And what a splendid human being. The late, great Jerry West, said that he'd never met a finer man than Elgin and that he thought of him as his Brother. In all the years that he knew Elgin, West said he never heard him ever disparage another person, was always unfailingly gracious and humble. He is greatly missed - they both are for their play and decency.

[@scottmunson2917]

@@vb14086 Sorry for the delay in responding. Things just kind of crazy and out of hand. But I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading your eloquent reply and how much joy it gave me to think back on all those wonderful names!

[@Brian31881]

I have to agree. At age 72 and remembering Elgin Baylor before his knees were wrecked. Elgin was every bit as dominant as Oscar Robertson. It was really amazing that a man that physically powerful could be so agile. One has to wonder how MJ would match up with Elgin. Nobody was stopping the Celtics in those days. Even Wilt only won one title when Russell was active. They were a strong team before Russell arrived and were able to add Hall of Fame talent as guys like Cousy and Sharman aged out.

[@Maximillian200HP]

Definitely one of the most underrated legends. Especially from his Era, back then everything was about Wilt, Russell and Oscar.

[@davidd7042]

Thanks for the video! I often wonder why people overlook him. Used to be he was regularly talked of as a top ten player. Maybe because video footage of him is rare. Thanks again for the footage.

[@davidd7042]

I remember Bill Russell saying he was the best forward ever. This was during the Dr. J and Larry Bird era.

[@LKaramazov]

71 points and 28 rebounds. Damn! I heard he was the man, but , Damn!

[@amorodioamor4388]

L Karamazov would you rather have 71 points and 28 rebounds or over 80 points and 1 assist?

[@LKaramazov]

Amor odio Amor is that how many Kobe had? Lmao. Still gotta love him. He played with a boatload of bums.

[@BigShaneGillis]

25 but still. Pretty nuts

[@bryanfox6726]

@@amorodioamor4388 The Post’s Leonard Koppett pointed out the next day, “His teammates were missing simple shots after perfect passes from him. If they were hitting, he could easily have had 10 assists.”

[@minisange1]

100% the most underrated player in NBA history. I think if he played today, he'd avg 29 10

[@J34xalpha_KING]

Elgin is one my favorite players of all time along with Larry LEGEND!! Super Underrated.

[@mikegillins4992]

When you talk about the greatest small forwards of all time larry and Elgin should be among that top five list

[@Amick44]

@@mikegillins4992 top 3 at worst.

[@mikegillins4992]

@@Amick44 Elgin doesn't have the accolades that lebron, bird, Doc or Barry has but from a all-around game perspective you can't leave him out the top three

[@Amick44]

@@mikegillins4992 and it's cause he's been retired longer & not as many around saw him play.

[@mikegillins4992]

@@Amick44 that always has something to do with it

[@michaelcoolen8716]

I watched him from Seattle University on. If there had been a three point line during his time, he would be more talked about. He was more dominant than the Big O, and that is saying a lot.

[@choosiheng5493]

Most unlucky player ever, the year he retired Lakers won the champ

[@litesout0_o639]

Ikr thats so stupid 😠😠

[@Beyonder-rq2gx]

They still gave him a ring. Well in some sort of technicality hes an nba champion 1972

[@chefcurryj8469]

@@Beyonder-rq2gx he played games and retired midseason

[@barrywright3670]

But he did played in 9 games thatv71 72 and management gave Elgin his ring

[@waltchamberlain5165]

Thank you Jonny for these amazing videos informing us of these legends. Damn this dude could hoop

[@thatmanstu23]

Baylor simply put the ball in the hole. He had a smooth and deadly mid range jumper and if you didn't get up on him, he would destroy you and not break a sweat.And if you got up on him, he was gone. He attacked the lane/rim laterally and loved to glide across the lane waiting as long as he needed to flip it in. He would sail past the hole and come back off the glass anyway/anywhere he wanted to, inside of five feet...

[@BallerBrain]

Elgin Baylor truly is one of the most under appreciated players in NBA history. He has the record for the most points scored in a game against Wilt and the points scored in a game against Bill Russell. Yet many people that I meet don't even put him in the discussion for the top 15 players.

[@broadstreet21]

About the Celtics, as stacked as they were, none of them had the talent of Baylor, West, or Chaimberlain (who joined them in 1968). In fact, the 1968-69 Lakers were favoured over the Celtics, who weren't even supposed to reach the finals. The Celtics kept winning because they had a team-first, close games out with a win mentality. Part of it was Russell, part of it was Heinsohn, Cousy, Jones, and the other guys. But most of it was coach Auerbach. Put Auerbach on the Lakers' bench, then it's the Lakers that win 11 titles.

[@maxlyons995]

baylor is like a 6 foot 5 wilt chamberlain, plays like him with his back to the basket play, incredible scoring ability, defensive ability and one of the best at pulling down boards

[@malafakka8530]

I am not a very dedicated basketball fan, but I love these kinds of videos that give praise to people who deserve it while being overlooked.

[@BrotherApexx]

Thank you for this and all your videos. I'm not a basketball man but I love learning about the game.

[@turlingtons1]

I agree with you. He is over looked b/c he does have the titles. But people have to look beyond that and see what he did on the court which people his size or bigger dont even do today. Not just scoring but rebounding like he did. today's players like KD dont even get close to double digits in rebounding b/c they are onlything about scoring.

[@jetjiles49]

Far and above THE best basketball channel on KZbin today. Thank you for doing this.

[@significantnobody823]

Awesome vid. Can you do a vid of Elvin Hayes

[@raymondrizzo284]

Exactly right! The Big E....would love to see one in him.

[@lloydkline6946]

Love his legendary turnaround jump shot original spin move

[@PeekaPeep]

Pre-1965 Elgin is hands-down THE best forward in Laker history. Much as I love Jamaal "Silk" Wilkes and "Big Game" James Worthy, NO Laker forward drew so much nervous attention from the opposition time and time again the way Baylor did. Had the complete skillset, elite-level athleticism (crazy strong for his size, too!), and basketball IQ to match. Was also quite possibly the best rebounding small forward ever as well. The post-'65 Baylor that came off a career-threatening knee injury was still an All Star-caliber player, but nowhere near the unstoppable force he was prior. Had the Lakers slowly eased him into a more fitting 6th Man role during that point in time, might've been able to get him a ring for once:::sigh:::oh well, enough hindsight. Props to the man who saved the Lakers from closing up shop as a franchise the moment he was drafted and who made the ultimate sacrifice for them to win their first NBA title in LA when he graciously retired 9 games into that monumental 1971-'72 season due to years of mounting wear-and-tear on the hardwood. >;-)

[@kmsideout]

Reminds me of Barkley. Short but wide, athletic and fast.

[@unhpsychology3909]

Great video - I knew in the back of my mind he was great but never to that extent. Keep ‘em comin!

[@Professional_Dirtbag_Hippie]

He’s definitely underrated 6th best small forward all time imo 1) LBJ 2) Bird 3) KD 4) Dr J 5) Hondo 6) Elgin 7) Dominique 8) Scottie 9) Alex English 10) James Worthy Honorable Mentions Paul Pierce Melo Adrian Dantley Kawhi is on there, but I want to give him until 30 before I place him officially Same for PG13

[@vanmarshall7279]

Bob. Pettit

[@zenmodernist1]

No way Alex English was better than Worthy

[@Iltffny]

I knew he was good but not gon lie, didnt know he was this good and that just goes to prove ur point cuz he def needs to be mentioned/recognized more for what he did

[@AceMcSch00ly]

My boy Johnny "dropping facts" Arnett!

[@scottyoung7852]

Another great video. As usual im always tellin people to check ur channel out goat series is 🔥

[@eviltwin4760]

Bro I love your channel. Can’t wait for more content.

[@danielaltshuler1195]

I didn’t see Mr. Baylor play, was before my time, his stats are outrageously good, but my Father, May they both Rest In Peace, said that Baylor was the best, essentially, aside from Wilt, through his retirement; and check the comments made by his long teammate, the great Jerry West, who praises Mr. Baylor, his greatness on the court and as a teammate, as do Dr. J, MJ, Wilt, et al. When the tops of the top amply praise you, you know it’s legit and amongst the highest caliber ever. I don’t know if he’s the most UNDERrated NBA player of all time but he’s certainly amongst the top, if he’s not, and Mr. Baylor certainly deserves more credit and discussion of his talents. I’d also add something that I didn’t hear on the video: that Mr. Baylor missed many games over several seasons bc of his military commitment; without that, his career and stats would obviously be even greater!

[@johnburris7711]

Baylor was a great player.! The era is irrelevant , greatness transcends all time. One of the 50 greatest players of all time, would have made a 25 list, if there was one.

[@williamtoad8040]

Don’t forget in 1962 and 1963 he took what should’ve been at most a 5 game series and turned them into last minute 7 and 6 game duels. He also averaged 40.6ppg in the 1962 finals led the league in scoring in the post season four times in a row during Wilt’s peak scoring years and is the only player to ever score 60 in a Finals game and a regulation post season game against a team with 4 All Stars on it.

[@facelessandnameless]

I agree. He’s definitely the most underrated player ever and it’s not even close.

[@timelessdevotionals]

Here is my hot take- If he would have won a few championships I believe he would be ahead of Larry Bird for all time forwards. Jerry West once said that he had never seen a small forward as good as Elgin Baylor. I do believe that he could have played in any era. He had the athleticism, strength, and size to be successful. He would habe had to work on his three point shot, but he is truly overlooked.

[@Doubletree77]

An excellent presentation on Elgin Baylor as one of the most underrated HOF player. I believe that if he was playing in the current NBA that his numbers would be better than when he played in the 60's. In Elgin playing days there was hand checking and in the current NBA it's a cakewalk to the hoop. He would average triple doubles across the board.

[@nickc247]

Legendary Lakers announcer Chick Hearn use to say he always thought Elgin was the greatest player ever until Jordan in the 90s.

[@Rakeemgrant]

Damn. I grew up watching the Lakers and hearing his commentary. R.I.P

[@felipemasas]

@@Rakeemgrant rip baylor as well

[@vb14086]

And I think he said it even after Jordan or at least was thought to still fee that way.

[@marcusanderson4652]

He was one of those players that were way ahead of their time.

[@bloodlust8444]

i dont know why they all say inflated in the 60s and even today is it their fault that those 90s lovers and haters of all other eras that they play heavy iso that slow the ball down and should be considered the right play ? literally its a 5man game and you play iso try making them run 48 mins like the players back then

[@Anthonydu01630]

Personally when i look at a player scoring, i always look at efficiency, how much field goal attempts he made because pace mean nothing. For exemple MJ, Kobe and Iverson played in the slowest pace era but Lebron, KD, Curry and even Harden average less field goal attempts per game, but these old healds will say yeah but hand checking and no spacing is the reason for their lack of efficiency, and then i show them Shaq, karl malone and charles barkley, who were all volume scorer and had better efficiency than MJ, Kobe and Iverson playing in the same era and they shut their mouth lol. MJ and Kobe especialy are so overated, iverson also ... Lebron, KD, Curry, Harden and now Giannis, Jokic, Kyrie are all better and more efficient scorer, thats a fact.

[@juicethreetwo]

Red Auerbach is the most underated player, because he played the refs so hard he impacted their calls and got the Celtics many extra points that made the diff in so many close games and game 7s. I believe this is true based on biographies and other books about him and that era.

[@MP-tf7cc]

He's underrated by those who didn't see him play, like most all greats are eventually. During his era, he was considered the best forward and one of the best overall.

[@tj5180]

It's sad that casuals disrespect him along with other greats in the 60s who played in that era.

[@fruitiusmaximus925]

He was an absolutely savage rebounder. His mechanic and movement style reminds me a bit of TJ Warren.

[@TheBamaPrinceable]

Great vid as usual! I was wondering if you could do a "How Good Were They Really?" for Clyde Drexler and Karl Malone? The former especially, a player I feel doesn't get his due from even most oldheads.

[@jonnyarnett]

Clyde the Glide will get one soon, definitely before Malone. Drexler is probably getting one within the next 3 in the series

[@Flametree1492]

Definitely in the top 10 greatest players of all time!! Not only because of his life time statistics but because he was an innovator of the game! He invented moves that countless future players copied to improve the game and make it way more interesting.

[@bassheadchilled1344]

this channel is on my top 3 basketball youtubers and I dislike most of these so-called analysts of the game on this platform

[@caps8723]

Elgin Baylor was the first to bring that all round game to the pros he really could do it all

[@Flametree1492]

Yes, he innovated the above the rim play! Dr. J said in a video that he idolized and imitated Elgin. It's TRUE what they say that every generation thinks they're the greatest! I roll my eyes when someone said they have it tough when they never experience the depression, world war 2 or the epidemics of the 20s, and 30s like my grandparents! Players like Elgin would kill in todays game. The lane is wide open, players today are practically aloud to do a layup almost every play. Back in the day the big centers would practically break your arm if you dared to drive through the lane! Elgin invented the drive through the lane to the basket!

[@facelessandnameless]

Flametree completely agree 👌

[@etxsports5836]

Eurostepping before the Eurostep haha

[@caps8723]

ETX Sports I see that in the highlights

[@caps8723]

Flametree Elgin was different level on and off the court

[@butchkerley]

Before he injured his knee there's never been a better player - his first 4 years in the league are as good as anyone's ever done period

[@ViralAMBSDR2023]

Hard to argue with Elgin Baylor, but from roughly that same time period I would have to add Bob Pettit and even Walt Bellamy. Just ask anyone from that era. Look up their stats. Decades later I'd add Kiki Vandeweghe 7 straight yrs 20+ ppg, Alex English 10 yrs elite scorer, Dan Issel 11th all time scorer (nba + ABA); 2nd All time ABA, and Fat Lever triple dbl machine as a small guard.

[@ND-OPS]

The most underrated here is johnny arnett, men i love ur videos, just keep making men, some youtubers thier just upload once a month when they finally earn money like korzemba

[@harrison6424]

Great video.Elgin is so underrated

[@dirkesauce12]

RIP got me here

[@randygoodwin2885]

I've been a basketball fan for 60 years and been to many many games and followed the sport. I think Elgin Baylor is one of the best I ever saw play the game. I would make him my first draft for an all time team without a second thought.

[@micahclawrence]

His rebounding stats would be great for a 7 footer. It's crazy how good he was for his size.

[@Easymoneygoatf]

It just shows how bad the nba players were back then. There’s no way a 6”5 sf would average 20 boards in todays league

[@micahclawrence]

@@Easymoneygoatf rodman did. And he's 6'7. Rebounds are different now though with 3 pt attempts being 10 times what they were

[@micahclawrence]

@@Easymoneygoatf and he played PF really. Had springs for legs.

[@Easymoneygoatf]

@@micahclawrence Rodman only had 1 job there’s no way a 6”5 sf could average 35 ppg and 20 boards in todays league

[@x-man9473]

@@Easymoneygoatf Dude. The pace was faster because the Celtics championship teams kept spamming the fast break (which they pioneered). That has nothing to do with the talent of the league. That's the change in style of play.

[@EJD339]

Hey Johnny, will you make a video about the nba salary cap and the history of it along with free agency. Super random but I think it may be interesting. Either way, I’ll watch your stuff. Haha

[@jonnyarnett]

Thanks EJ! I appreciate you watching my vids. I did a video on NBA loyalty, and it covers some interesting history and aspects of NBA free agency. Heres a link and its worth checking out, kzbin.info/www/bejne/mF6lg52Cl71_oq8 although I'm sure I'll be doing more salary cap/free agency focused videos

[@robertpigott5312]

He led a small catholic university to the final NCAA championship game. He got in foul trouble early and the team had no one else who could score. They lost but he went on to lead the Lakers and one season averaged 38pts. He set the standard for the first modern forward.

[@micktuna27]

Great job!!

[@yahshgarcia3689]

Rest in power, Elgin. 🙏🏽

[@GamingWithAFisherman]

I think it’s amazing names transcend generation. I started to watch basketball in the wade shaq days and Miami was my team but I’ve come to learn about names like baylor or gervin. It’s amazing history. And I’m sure Elgin would tear up modern nba

[@raymondrizzo284]

Can I add another big reason why Elgin didn’t get all the credit he should have. Back in the day, if you lived on the east coast, you never got to see west coast teams play. All the TV/network money and weekend games on TV did not exist until the mid to late 60’s. In ALL sports, except maybe the NFL, you just didn’t get to see west coast players. Hey, I lived in Philly and the morning paper didn’t even have the west coast scores in it because they finished the games too late. All that to say, more exposure equals more respect. If he played in today’s cable TV era, where almost every game is televised, he would definitely get more recognition. Nice work and I appreciate it. Gotta think about that “most underrated” question.

[@CarlosFernandez-r8o]

Best forward I ever saw after Larry Bird.

[@louisvelez40]

He was an amazing all around player. I think it might be because he never won a championship but people forget he was with Jerry in those Finals they played in. Had he not retired early in the 72 Season, I think he would be remembered more especially on that historic Lakers team. Doesn't get his due diligence. I mean the only player in history to have the most points scored in an NBA Finals game with 61 points, still a record to this day.

[@fennisdembo34]

not sure if THE most underrated, but you certainly made a strong case. great vid!

[@spencerantoniomarlen-starr3069]

The only time I ever remember him being brought up is whenever someone claims the Jordan did stuff no one had ever seen before and someone else says wrong, dr. J and Elgin Baylor were high flying way before MJ, I obviously knew about the good doctor, but I never knew much about the other guy they mentioned.

[@bobmarley5138]

If you got heart and the will to try your best every night I believe you have a shot to make it in any era,His scoring ability is off the charts and his hustle for the boards is unbelievable.Put him at sg in today standards,let the big guys grab the boards and watch him go to work on the offensive end, his weight should allow him to bully dudes

[@williamtoad8040]

Players who were massive leaps in basketball evolution Cousy - passing, facilitating and play making Russell - Shot blocking and defense Baylor - shooting and shot selection Wilt - dunking Maravich - dribbling and ball handling

[@dbourne08]

He was a very unique player for his time. Very athletic and skilful. An early Dr J and Michael Jordan. Definitely underrated and I believe he could play in today's game, at a high level

[@Irfanhill]

The word "underrated" is always difficult to wage, but I'd say he is pretty underrated, since we mostly speak about him now as a kind of "greatest loser". But you also have a lot of people ranking him top 20 all time. The lack of ring, the lack of footage, the years explain it. Also underrated: Moses Malone, John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins... With modern day training and conditioning, Baylor would for sure be a great player nowadays.

[@ParlayTae]

IN 61-62 HE COULD ONLY PLAY ON WEEKENDS BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE ARMY

[@seyiolotu1708]

Elgin Baylor! Mr inside. An acrobatic scorer and one of the first few guys to ever dunk on Bill Russell for that size.

[@dctygee3349]

Followed Elgin (Rabbit) Baylor since he was a legend in DC high school . He is indeed an all time great and underrated player.He was the model for Dr.J, MJ and the other high flyers in the league. He was must see tv. Too bad the Celtics were loaded during his prime.

[@ericboyer3602]

My friend (who I trust) mentioned that Laker announcer Chick Hearn (who I also trust) called him possibly the greatest player he ever saw because all he did was everything. And basketball is a team game. And technically I think he is a champion because of the 72 season because he was on the inactive roster.

[@madcapper6]

That's an awesome shot of Elgin at 0:39 of the vid.

[@1NJPWGaming]

RIP Elgin Baylor 😔

[@lucaslieu]

Elgin was ahead of his time

[@flynnd6516]

The most underrated basketball youtuber ever

[@davidstearn-b1h]

Baylor is absolutely the most underrated player of all time and one of the all time greats. People seem to forget everything that happened before the 80's except Russell & the Celtics '60's dynasty. I would say that another Laker, James Worthy, is the second most underrated player ever (particularly if you consider his College career), largely as a result of playing behind Kareem & Magic.