Baylor was an All-American (1958) at Seattle University, where he played from 1955 to 1958, guiding the team to the collegiate finals in 1958. He signed with the National Basketball Association (NBA) Lakers (Minneapolis, Minn., and, later, Los Angeles) in 1958 and was named Rookie of the Year in 1959. During his 14-year career he averaged 27.4 points per game, with a 38.2 average in the 1961–62 season. His 71 points in a 1960 game was an NBA record until it was broken by Wilt Chamberlain (Chamberlain, Wilt)'s 100 (1962). Baylor set the single-game scoring record for the NBA Finals when he tallied 61 points against the Boston Celtics in game five of the 1962 finals. Though he played with some of the finest players in Laker-franchise history, including Wilt Chamberlain (Chamberlain, Wilt), Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, he never won an NBA championship. He retired as the NBA's third-leading all-time rebounder with a career total of 11,463. Baylor was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976.

After his playing career ended, Baylor coached the New Orleans (La.) Jazz (1974–79). In 1986 he was named vice president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers and was named Executive of the Year in 2006.