One of the hottest debates when it comes to NBA history is who the greatest small forward of all time is.
Many feel it is Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, while most others would say it was Larry Bird, the Boston Celtics legend.
But another Celtics great thinks it was neither.
Bob Cousy, the so-called “Houdini of the Hardwood” and a standout guard for Boston in the 1950s and early 1960s, took what some may interpret as a dig at James by giving the nod to the late Elgin Baylor.
Via Lakers Daily:
“Cousy believes that Baylor is the greatest small forward in the history of the NBA, putting him above players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
“‘Still the best, in my judgment, small forward that ever played the game, a guy named Elgin Baylor,’ Cousy said.”
“I guess [Wilt Chamberlain] must have fought fires as well”
NBA legend Bob Cousy reacts to J.J. Redick’s comments about Cousy playing against “plumbers and firemen” with @termineradio and @jumpshot8 pic.twitter.com/D4x9TVmvlD
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 19, 2022
Baylor was one of the truly great players of the 1960s and still one of the greatest ever, but for some reason, history has seemed to forget about him.
In 14 NBA seasons, he averaged 27.4 points, which is still one of the highest career scoring averages ever, as well as 13.5 rebounds per game.
In his first seven seasons, before a knee injury started to slow him, Baylor put up an unbelievable 30.2 points and 15.4 boards per game.
Whether Baylor was the greatest small forward ever or not, Cousy would know how great he was. The two faced each other in the NBA Finals three times.
