It was 2:00 am Tuesday morning I was sitting in front of my computer when I decided to check my email box for the last time before heading to bed–the first email read, “Harold, why don’t you do a piece on Elgin? When I came up, he was, not only my favorite basketball player, but my favorite athlete too (He and Willie Wood). You know baseball was the thing back then. Elgin, Willie Mays, and Lenny Moore were my favorites. I was a Baltimore Colts fan. My brother liked Cleveland, so I couldn’t pick Jim Brown. I know Elgin’s legend has died out for the youngsters nowadays, but he is more than deserving of a final tribute, from those of us who are still left to remember how truly great he was. He was in a category with Wilt, Russell and Oscar, without question. You, more than anyone, should know that. In another strange way, he was a lot like the one-armed bandit, only Elgin had two arms. They were both D. C. legends, with talent that was freakish. I remember the day he scored 64 points. Everybody was up Ridge Road saying they were “Elgin Baylor.” (But in my mind I was the real Elgin Baylor).
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