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This is Elgin Baylor’s life, flashing across a screen, being monetized in dollars and euros and pounds and even yen. This is Beverly Hills on a Friday, where Julien’s Auctions has for years made its business on driving up the prices on everything from Michael Jackson’s clothing to Madonna’s VMA awards. This is nearly six months in the making, the room decorated in Lakers purple and gold, its display cases stuffed with the 78-year-old’s awards, plaques and even telegrams. FoxSportsWest.com

Elgin Baylor 

The 11-time NBA All-Star forward decided last year that it was time to get rid of the rooms of stored memorabilia, memorabilia to which he had little emotional connection, in some cases. Baylor is reportedly not in financial straits and is simply tired of paying to insure more than half a century’s worth of the trappings of his career, and so he sought out a way to divest himself of it. FoxSportsWest.com

Elgin Baylor 

He knows what you're thinking. He knows you're thinking, poor Elgin. He knows you think he is selling his life's work because he needs the money, or he's worried about his heirs paying an inheritance tax on the items. He knows you're thinking he's desperate. But Baylor says he's fine. He always says he's fine. "You're thinking there's something financial going on here, but it's not true,'' he said. "I have no financial problems at all. None of that. Seriously." Los Angeles Times

Elgin Baylor 

He spent some of his basketball career above the rim, some of it behind a desk, all of it in limbo. Elgin Baylor was a Lakers star before the Lakers were stars. He was a Clippers boss before the Clippers were boss. He was always Los Angeles' other idol, its other general manager, its afterthought legend, the guy who laid the cement for the Staples Center statues and quietly watched it dry. Baylor rarely owned the spotlight here, but Friday, he will command it in startling fashion. He'll be selling everything it shines upon. Los Angeles Times

Elgin Baylor 

Julien’s Auctions will present historic collections including iconic pieces from the Harlan Werner Muhammad Ali Collection, the Whalen “Whaley” Monica World Series and All-Star Game collection in its entirety, and the collection of NBA Legend Elgin Baylor. Basketball will take center court when the Collection of Elgin Baylor is also offered on Friday. The exclusive collection of the eleven-time NBA All-Star, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and L.A. Lakers legend features memorabilia from every stage of his career. Artdaily.org

Elgin Baylor, Merchandising 

Lakers Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor will be auctioning off memorabilia, awards and personal items on May 31 with the help of Julien's Auctions. Baylor, whose No. 22 jersey is retired at Staples Center, is making available his 1959 All-Star Game MVP Trophy, his 1971-72 championship ring and a number of rare items accumulated over his legendary career. "I worked and played as hard as I possibly could. My college coach said just give it your best effort and then you can feel good about what you've done," Baylor told Michael Mink of Investor's Business Daily. Los Angeles Times

Elgin Baylor 

Lakers Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor will be auctioning off memorabilia, awards and personal items on May 31 with the help of Julien's Auctions. Baylor, whose No. 22 jersey is retired at Staples Center, is making available his 1959 All-Star Game MVP Trophy, his 1971-72 championship ring and a number of rare items accumulated over his legendary career. "I worked and played as hard as I possibly could. My college coach said just give it your best effort and then you can feel good about what you've done," Baylor told Michael Mink of Investor's Business Daily. "I was always competitive. I always wanted to win regardless of what I was doing. I would just keep going until I wore my opponent out. That was my approach," the 6-foot-5 former forward said. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Hall of Fame, Elgin Baylor, Merchandising 

The front office turned sour on Del Negro earlier this season when he chatted with Celtics' boss Danny Ainge about a deal to acquire Kevin Garnett. They felt it wasn't his place to do so. Hard feelings remain. Del Negro also isn't as sold on keeping DeAndre Jordan as the front office is, and so there are grounds for continued conflict. If I knew the name of the team's wallflower general manager, I would tell you. Andy Roeser remains Donald Sterling's top aide, but he's lost much of his influence now that Sterling's son-in-law, Eric Miller, has joined the team in training as possibly Sterling's heir apparent. Too early to say if we're talking upgrade. Mike Dunleavy used to work around the front office, bypassing Elgin Baylor to get things done. But he was more the politician, while Del Negro isn't one for sweet talk. Los Angeles Times

Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Danny Ainge, Vinny Del Negro, Mike Dunleavy, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor, Andy Roeser 

Former pro basketball star and coach Elgin Baylor and his wife, Elaine, have put their Beverly Crest area estate on the market at $4.25 million. The contemporary Mediterranean-style home, built in 1981, is sited on nearly an acre to take advantage of canyon and city views. Features include a 1,600-square-foot great room that could function as a home theater or game room. There are multiple decks, six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and more than 8,000 square feet of living space. Los Angeles Times

Elgin Baylor 

What about Kobe Bryant? "I played with Elgin Baylor in NBA2K12 last year," Howard said. "We were on the same team. It was pretty good. We won all the games." And Pau Gasol? "I don't think there's nobody like Pau," Howard said of the floppy-haired Spaniard. "But I think Pau was on 'Sesame Street' … the yellow bird." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard, Injuries, Elgin Baylor 

After that, it gets ugly. For as bad as Jordan's teams have performed (their total winning percentage is .369), he's actually only third from the bottom of our list. Elgin Baylor was the suit in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers for 22 years, a period in which he compiled a .349 win percentage. During his tenure, the Clippers won just one playoff series. As for the absolute worst: that honor belongs to Isiah Thomas, who worked in the front offices of the Raptors and the Knicks. He left the Raptors after clashing with management, then flamed out as an executive (and eventually head coach) of the Knicks. His struggles recently followed him to the college ranks, where Florida International fired him as its head basketball coach earlier this month after three seasons. Wall Street Journal

Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Isiah Thomas, Elgin Baylor 

At that, Hall of Fame guard Oscar Robertson, who may have been every bit as good as Jordan in his day, just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “I didn’t hear the comments,” Robertson told the Dan Sileo Show on WDAE in Tampa Wednesday morning. “Let me tell you about what being great is. Ever hear of Elgin Baylor? Never mention his name, do we? Great basketball player. You know what you have today? Michael Jordan was a great player, but he won after Chicago got Pippen, Grant and those other players to go along with him, because for a while they couldn’t beat Detroit. “Everybody looks at what you’ve done. Sure he won six championships, Russell won eleven. There are other players on these teams when they play. They don’t play by themselves. Michael Jordan is a great player. Was he the greatest? Ask Kobe that. Ask Bill Russell. Ask Oscar Robertson. Ask Wilt Chamberlain. Ask Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, ask those guys.” Sporting News

Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell 

Scott Howard-Cooper: I reported in Feb. that Kareem and Elgin Baylor were next in line for statues. Lakers now confirm KAJ will be honored at some point. Twitter

Los Angeles Lakers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor 

A Los Angeles County jury Wednesday declined to award damages to NBA great Elgin Baylor, rejecting his lawsuit against the Clippers for unlawful termination based on age discrimination. By a 12-0 vote, the seven-man, five-woman jury informed Judge Kenneth R. Freeman that neither the team nor owner Donald T. Sterling or president Andy Roeser presided over a hostile workplace in which alleged harassment occurred. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Lisa Dillman: Follow @latimespugmire for additional coverage and reaction from the courthouse after Elgin Baylor's lawsuit was rejected, 12-0. Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Lisa Dillman: Just got word from source --OK, Lance Pugmire:-) -- that the verdict in the Baylor case is in. LP making his way to court. #puffofsmoke Twitter

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Elgin Baylor's wrongful termination and age-discrimination civil lawsuit against the Clippers is expected to arrive in the hands of jurors Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. In closing statements Monday, the team's attorney blasted Baylor's claim and urged the panel to deprive him of any financial payoff. Ridiculing Baylor's complaints against team executives who asked him about his birthday and how he was feeling in the years before the NBA great's split with the team as executive vice president, Clippers attorney Robert Platt told jurors, "You'd have to have police at every workplace saying you can't sing, 'Happy Birthday.' " The Bellingham Herald

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Clippers owner Donald Sterling testified Tuesday about his past deep loyalty and trust for former executive Elgin Baylor despite an admission by the owner that he wasn't completely clear about the NBA legend he appointed vice president of player personnel in 1986. "You didn't know about his basketball career?" Baylor attorney Carl Douglas asked Sterling in his first day on the stand as Baylor's wrongful termination civil lawsuit against the team continued at a Los Angeles courthouse. "His accomplishments? The Hall of Fame?" "No," Sterling answered. "... I didn't know that. I hired him for $3,000 a month. I didn't really know what his role was.... He was working in a mail-order company back then." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Douglas' questions revealed the significant distance Sterling kept from the team he moved from San Diego in 1984. The organization has appeared in four postseason series since. When asked about a Baylor predecessor, Sterling said the name Carl Scheer "sounds familiar." He added, "I don't profess to know anything about basketball. I'm a professional lawyer." As for what he recalls about Baylor taking over basketball matters, the owner said, "[Baylor] … ultimately made $500,000 a year. Somewhere in between, he assumed that role." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor 

Sterling testified he paid Baylor whatever annual salary he would ask for and said he gave Baylor wide latitude in the team's handling, including what to pay coaches and whom to sign and draft. "Elgin Baylor wouldn't tell me the players he was drafting. He was afraid I'd tell another owner," Sterling testified. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Law, Donald Sterling, Elgin Baylor