Elgin Baylor Is out for Season

Apr. 4, 1965 - Elgin Baylor, the great forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, will play no more this season.

The captain of the Lakers underwent surgery today to repair a torn kneecap, an injury suffered in the opening minutes of Saturday night’s 121-115 playoff win over the Baltimore Bullets.

The operation at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Los Angeles, which took two hours, was called a success.

A piece of bone was chipped from the left knee, and the surgery removed a portion of the kneecap and the tendon attached.

Baylor will remain in the hospital until the middle of the week and will wear a full-leg cast for one month.

“I felt something tear just as I took off,” Baylor recalled sorrowfully from his bed. “The doctor told me that it was a freak injury. The top part of the kneecap just pulled away from the rest of it.”

The 6-5, 230-pound veteran pushed off on his left leg to take a jump shot in the fourth minute of action. 

“My right arm and shoulder are real sore today,” Baylor remarked. “They tell me that somebody [Walt Bellamy] hit me as I shot.”

Ironically, Baylor needed only 105 points to become the all-time playoff scoring leader. Under ordinary circumstances, he might have done it in this series.

“It’s just one of those things,” said Baylor. “But I felt we were ready to win the whole thing this year. Maybe they can do it anyhow because they are ready to play.”

With Baylor out of action, Leroy Ellis, a brilliant performer in Saturday’s win, moves into the starting lineup, and Don Nelson, used sparingly most of the season, will be the sub for Ellis and Rudy LaRusso.

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