- The Minneapolis Lakers’ plane was forced to crash land in a 1960 accident
- Future Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star Elgin Baylor was on board at the time
- The plane was able to land in a cornfield full of snow and everyone miraculously made it out alive
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, but the team wasn’t founded in LA, they were originally the Minneapolis Lakers.
In the 50s, the Lakers won four NBA championships and by 1958, had a stud named Elgin Baylor leading the way. Baylor went on to become a great scorer, the 1958-59 Rookie of the Year, and an 11-time All-Star, but his story ended almost before it began.
In 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers’ plane crash-landed after getting lost with Elgin Baylor on board, and the story was shared in Roland Lazenby’s ‘The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It.’
“The flight to Minneapolis, normally two hours, stretched to three, then three and a half. Ice formed, first on the wings and windows, then in the cabin itself. Worry became fear.
“Knowing they were about out of fuel and nowhere near Minneapolis pilot Vernon Ullman decided to take the plane down and look for a place to land. As they descended, his copilot opened the cockpit window, reached out, and scraped the ice from the windshield.
“Baylor decided to take his blanket and lie down in the aisle at the back of the plane. If I’m going to die, I might as well die comfortably, he thought as he braced himself against the seat supports on either side.
“The plane made several more passes, each one goosing the passengers’ anxiety higher. At one point, Ullman pulled up to avoid high-tension wires. On the final try, the pilot cut the engines and the plane floated into a cornfield.
“The crop had been left uncut, and three feet of snow rested on top of the corn. The touchdown was pillow soft. The passengers cheered and upon emptying from the plane engaged in a joyful snowball fight.”
This is one of the most intense stories that not many people know about. In 1959-60, Baylor had just emerged as a star on the Lakers, averaging 29.6 points and 16.4 rebounds per game. But surely, when they were on that plane, none of that made any difference. All that mattered was that they miraculously survived.
Elgin Baylor Has Been Called The Greatest Small Forward Ever
Like many other legends from that era, Elgin Baylor is among those that modern fans often forget about. But he was one of the best small forwards the game had seen, dominating in an era where big men reigned supreme. And Bob Cousy called him the greatest to ever play the position.
“Still the best, in my judgment, small forward that ever played the game, a guy named Elgin Baylor,” Cousy said.
The history of the Los Angeles Lakers would not be the same if this incident had gone wrong. The team moved to Los Angeles the same year, in 1960, and that might not even have happened if this accident had turned tragic. It’s a wild thing to think about.
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