Elvin Hayes

Elvin Hayes
Personal information
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Houston
NBA draft	1968: 1st round, 1st overall pick
	Selected by the San Diego Rockets
Playing career	1968–1984
Position	Forward/Center
Number	11, 44
Career highlights and awards
	NBA Champion (1978); 12× NBA All-Star (1969–1980); NBA Scoring Champion (1969); 3× All-NBA First Team (1975, 1977, 1979); 3× All-NBA Second Team (1973–1974, 1976); 2× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1974–1975); NBA All-Rookie First Team (1969); AP College Player of the Year (1968); 2× Consensus NCAA All-American First Team (1967–1968); #11 Retired by the Washington Bullets; NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team;
Career statistics
Points	27,313
Rebounds	16,279
Blocks	1,771
	Stats at NBA.com
	Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
	Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball player and radio analyst for Houston Cougars men's basketball, where he played college basketball. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early years

A quiet, introverted youth, Hayes first picked up a basketball in eighth grade, by accident. He was wrongly blamed for playing a classroom prank and was sent to the principal's office. But another teacher, Reverend Calvin, saw Hayes and said he was welcome in his class. Although the youngster showed no inclination for any sports, Calvin thought he would benefit by playing basketball and put him on the school team. Hayes was so clumsy, however, that he evoked laughter with his awkward attempts at shooting and dribbling.

But young Hayes was determined to improve, and during the summers he practiced long hours. As a 6'5" ninth grader he was a benchwarmer on the junior varsity squad at Britton High School when he became determined to crack the starting lineup. "I was too weak to shoot the turnaround then," Hayes recalled, "so all summer long I shot with a small rubber ball at a basket in my yard. My development was almost overnight."

In Hayes's senior year, 1963–64, he led Britton to the state championship, averaging 35 points during the regular season. In the championship game he picked up 45 points and 20 rebounds.

College life in Houston

Hayes and Don Chaney were the University of Houston's first African American basketball players in 1966.

In 1966, Hayes led the Cougars into the Western Regional semi-finals of the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament before losing to the Pac-8 champion Oregon State Beavers.

In 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He would attempt 31 field goals, and score 25 points and 24 rebounds in a semi-final loss to the eventual champion UCLA Bruins featuring Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). His rebounding total is second to Bill Russell's Final Four record of 27.^[1]^[2]

On January 20, 1968, the Big E and the Houston Cougars faced Lew and the UCLA Bruins in the first-ever nationally televised regular season college basketball game. In front of a record 52,693 fans at the Houston Astrodome, Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds while limiting Alcindor to just 15 points as Houston beat UCLA 71–69 to snap the Bruins' 47-game winning streak in what has been called the "Game of the Century". That game helped Hayes earn The Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year.

One month later, he grabbed a career-high 37 rebounds in a game against Centenary on February 10.

In the rematch to the "Game of the Century", Hayes would end his college career in the 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He was held to 10 points, losing to Alcindor and the Bruins 69–101 in the semi final game.^[2]

Hayes led Houston in scoring (1966 27.2 points per game, 1967 28.4, and 1968 36.8). For his college career, Hayes averaged 31.0 points per game and 17.2 rebounds per game.

With his departure from college Hayes was selected in the first round of the 1968 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets and by the Houston Mavericks in the 1968 ABA Draft.

NBA career

Hayes joined the NBA with the San Diego Rockets in 1968 and in his rookie year, he scored a career-high 54 points against the Detroit Pistons on November 11 of that year. As a rookie, Hayes led the NBA in scoring with 28.4 points per game, averaged 17.1 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. Hayes' scoring average is the fifth best all-time for a rookie, and he remains the last rookie to lead the NBA in scoring average.

In Hayes' second season, he led the NBA in rebounding, becoming the first player other than Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain to lead the category since 1957 (Chamberlain was injured during much of the season). In Hayes' third season, 1970–71, he scored a career best 28.7 points per game. In 1971, the Rockets moved to Houston, enabling Hayes to play in the city of his college triumphs. In 1972, Hayes was traded to the Baltimore Bullets, where he teamed with Hall-Of-Famer Wes Unseld to form a fierce and dominating frontcourt combination. The 18.1 rebounds per game Hayes averaged in 1974 is the third highest rebounding average of any NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain retired in 1973.

Hayes and Unseld later led the Washington Bullets to 3 NBA Finals (1975, 1978, and 1979), and an NBA title over The Seattle SuperSonics in 1978. He shined brightly, especially in the NBA playoffs. During the Bullets' championship season (1978), he averaged 21.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in 21 playoff games. One year later, he set an NBA Finals record for most offensive rebounds in a game (11), in a May 27, 1979 game against the SuperSonics.

On June 8, 1981, Hayes was traded to the Houston Rockets. The "Big E" closed out his career with the Rockets in 1984. Hayes had a career scoring average of 21.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. He played at least 80 games in every season.

After basketball

Shortly after finishing his career in the NBA, Hayes returned to the University of Houston to finish the last thirty credit hours of his undergraduate degree. When interviewed about the experience, Hayes mentioned, "I played 16 years of pro basketball, but this is the hardest thing I've ever done."^[3]

For a while he owned a car dealership in Crosby, Texas. In November 2007, Hayes became a City of Liberty Police Reserve Officer, fulfilling a childhood dream.^[4] On November 22, 2010, it was announced that he would serve as an analyst for radio broadcasts of Houston Cougars games on Houston's KBME.^[5]

Stats and honors

In his career with the San Diego/Houston Rockets and the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, Hayes played 1,303 games over 16 seasons, registering 27,313 points (eighth all-time) and 16,279 rebounds (fourth all-time). Hayes never missed more than two games in any of his 16 seasons in the NBA. In addition to his 1968 scoring title, he led the NBA in rebounding in 1970 and 1974. Hayes played in twelve straight NBA All-Star Games from 1969 to 1980.

Hayes was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team during the 1996–97 NBA season and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

Hayes is also a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.^[6]

In 2003, Hayes was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of Champions into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. [1]

Career highs

Top scoring games

Points	Opponent	Date
54	vs. Detroit Pistons	November 13, 1968
50	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	November 20, 1970
49 (OT)	vs. Seattle SuperSonics	January 30, 1970
48	at Cincinnati Royals	November 25, 1970
47	at Golden State Warriors	March 13, 1977

Top shot-blocking efforts

	Unofficially recorded

Blocks	Opponent	Date
13	vs. Phoenix Suns	December 28, 1968
13	vs. Milwaukee Bucks	March 19, 1971
13	vs. Phoenix Suns	March 21, 1971
11	at Detroit Pistons	March 3, 1978
10	at Cincinnati Royals	February 12, 1969
10	vs. San Francisco Warriors	January 8, 1970
10	vs. San Francisco Warriors	February 14, 1970
9	vs. Phoenix Suns	March 6, 1977
8	vs. Kansas City Kings	March 18, 1976
8	at Phoenix Suns	November 25, 1976
8	vs. Chicago Bulls	November 14, 1979
8	vs. San Antonio Spurs	February 22, 1980
8	vs. Atlanta Hawks	March 28, 1980
8	vs. Detroit Pistons	December 5, 1980

Regular season

Stat	High	Opponent	Date
Field goal percentage
Field goals made	20	vs. Detroit Pistons	November 13, 1968
Field goals made	20	vs. Kansas City Kings	December 15, 1976
Field goals made	20	at Golden State Warriors	March 13, 1977
Field goal attempts	45	vs. Detroit Pistons	November 13, 1968
Free throws made, none missed	—
Free throw attempts, none made	0—8	vs. Portland Trail Blazers	March 26, 1972
Free throws made	17	vs. Golden State Warriors	February 26, 1978
Free throw attempts	23	at Cincinnati Royals	January 30, 1971
Rebounds	35	at New York Knicks	January 19, 1971
Rebounds	32	at Atlanta Hawks	November 17, 1973
Rebounds	30	vs. Los Angeles Lakers	December 5, 1970
Offensive rebounds	11	vs. Phoenix Suns	January 5, 1979
Defensive rebounds	28	at Atlanta Hawks	November 17, 1973
Assists	11
Steals

Playoffs

Stat	High	Opponent	Date
Points	46	vs. Buffalo Braves	April 20, 1975
Field goal percentage
Field goals made	19	at New York Knicks	March 29, 1974
Field goals made	19	vs. Buffalo Braves	April 20, 1975
Field goal attempts	34
Free throws made, none missed	—
Free throws made, one missed	—
Free throws made	12
Free throw attempts	16
Rebounds	23
Offensive rebounds	11	at San Antonio Spurs	April 16, 1978
Offensive rebounds	11	at Seattle SuperSonics	May 27, 1979
Defensive rebounds	19	at Cleveland Cavaliers	April 15, 1977
Assists	6
Steals	6	vs. Atlanta Hawks	April 24, 1979
Blocked shots	8 (OT)	vs. Cleveland Cavaliers	April 26, 1976

References

^ NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Individual and Team Records
^ ^a ^b 2007–2008 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide - PDF copy available at www.uclabruins.com. pg. 61 Post Season Scoring Recaps
^ Callahan, Tom (1985-12-23). "Impressions in Black and White". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2009-02-22.
^ Local basketball legend now a sheriff's deputy
^ "Elvin Hayes to Join Men's Basketball Radio Broadcast Crew". Houston Cougars athletics. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
^ http://www.blackcollegesearch.com/articles/greek-life/iota-phi-theta-fraternity.htm

External links

NBA.com biography
Basketball Hall of Fame biography
ClutchFans.net Profile - Houston Rocket Fan Site
NBA.com history: Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes to join radio crew

Template:Persondata

[1] NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Individual and Team Records

[uclamedia-2] 2007–2008 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide - PDF copy available at www.uclabruins.com. pg. 61 Post Season Scoring Recaps

[3] Callahan, Tom (1985-12-23). "Impressions in Black and White". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2009-02-22.

[4] Local basketball legend now a sheriff's deputy

[5] "Elvin Hayes to Join Men's Basketball Radio Broadcast Crew". Houston Cougars athletics. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2010-11-23.

[6] ttp://www.blackcollegesearch.com/articles/greek-life/iota-phi-theta-fraternity.htm

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v t e Houston Cougars men's basketball
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Culture & lore	Shasta Phi Slama Jama Game of the Century "Cougar Fight Song" Spirit of Houston
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

v t e 1967 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans
First Team	Lew Alcindor Clem Haskins Elvin Hayes Bob Lloyd Wes Unseld Bob Verga Jimmy Walker
Second Team	Louie Dampier Mel Daniels Sonny Dove Don May Larry Miller

v t e 1968 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans
First Team	Lew Alcindor Elvin Hayes Pete Maravich Larry Miller Wes Unseld
Second Team	Lucius Allen Bob Lanier Don May Calvin Murphy Jo Jo White

v t e 1968 NBA draft
First round	Elvin Hayes Wes Unseld Bob Kauffman Tom Boerwinkle Don Smith Otto Moore Charlie Paulk Gary Gregor Ron Williams Bill Hosket Bill Hewitt Don Chaney Skip Harlicka Shaler Halimon
Second round	John Trapp Art Harris Loy Petersen Bob Quick Ron Dunlap Manny Leaks Dick Cunningham Gene Moore

v t e Washington Bullets 1977–78 NBA champions
10 Dandridge 11 Hayes 14 Henderson 15 Johnson 20 Walker 25 Kupchak 32 Wright 35 Grevey 41 Unseld (Finals MVP) 42 Ballard 44 Pace 45 Chenier
Head coach: Motta
Assistant coach: Bickerstaff
Regular season Playoffs