This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 9/9/2007.
In his three collegiate seasons, one at Idaho and two at Seattle, Baylor averaged 31.3 points per game. Baylor led the Seattle University Chieftains to the NCAA championship game in 1958 and, following his junior season, he joined the Minneapolis Lakers for the 1958-1959 season as the number one overall pick and moved with them to Los Angeles in 1960. He played a total of 13 seasons with the Lakers, his entire career. With the departing of George Mikan, the Lakers looked to Baylor to rescue the falling franchise, which he inevitably did. As a rookie in 1958-59, Baylor registered 55 points in a single game, then the third-highest mark in league history behind Joe Fulks's 63 and George Mikan's 61. Baylor won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and led the Lakers, from last place the previous year to the NBA finals. During his career, he helped lead the Lakers to the NBA Finals eight times. His 38.3 point per game season average for 1961-1962 is the highest for any player other than Wilt Chamberlain. The 71 points Baylor scored on November 15, 1960 was a record at the time. The 61 points he scored in game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1962 is still an NBA Finals record. Baylor was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and went to the NBA All-Star Game 11 times. He was the last of the great undersized forwards, in a league where many guards are now that size or bigger. Baylor's signature shot was a running bank shot, which he was able to release quickly and effectively over taller players. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1980 was named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. On the center front tail of the cheesecloth jersey is the "Tiernan" manufacturers tag. Across the front of the jersey is "LAKERS" in yellow on white tackle twill. Below that and on the back of the jersey is the player number "22" in white on yellow tackle twill. Across the back of the jersey is "BAYLOR" in yellow on white tackle twill. The jersey shows good game-use and there appears to be no alterations of any kind.