| 11 |
at Detroit Pistons |
Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, LouisianaRayville is a town in, the parish seat of, and the largest community in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,234 at the 2000 census. It is also home of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center...
) is a retired American basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and radio analystIn sports broadcasting, a sports analyst provides expert discussion of sports-related topics before, during or after a sporting event. Sports analysts are frequently former athletes who participated in the sport being analyzed...
for Houston Cougars men's basketballThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
, where he played college basketball. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
, 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 ChaneyDonald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...
were the University of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
's first African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
basketball players in 1966.
In 1966, Hayes led the CougarsThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
into the Western Regional semi-finals of the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 22 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 7, 1966, and ended with the championship game on March 19 in College Park, Maryland...
before losing to the Pac-8 champion Oregon State BeaversThe Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig...
.
In 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1967, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Louisville, Kentucky...
. 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-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
). His rebounding total is second to Bill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
's Final Four record of 27.
On January 20, 1968, the Big E and the Houston CougarsThe 1967–68 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The team played its home games at Delmar Fieldhouse in Houston for the second consecutive season. This season marked the team's ninth year as an...
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 AstrodomeReliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
, 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'The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
47-game winning streak in what has been called the "Game of the CenturyThe Game of the Century in college basketball was a historical NCAA game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played on January 20, 1968 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide in prime time...
". 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 CentenaryCentenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
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 TournamentThe 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...
. He was held to 10 points, losing to Alcindor and the Bruins 69–101 in the semi final game.
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 DraftThe 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
by the San Diego Rockets and by the Houston MavericksThe Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association. They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967 to 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Coliseum...
in the 1968 ABAThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
Draft.
NBA career
Hayes joined the NBA with the San Diego RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in 1968 and in his rookie year, he scored a career-high 54 points against the Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
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 TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
. 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 RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
or Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
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 UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
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 ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
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 SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
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 FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
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 RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. 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 HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
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."
For a while he owned a car dealership in Crosby, TexasCrosby is a census-designated place in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crosby is located at ....
.
In November 2007, Hayes became a City of Liberty Police Reserve Officer, fulfilling a childhood dream. On November 22, 2010, it was announced that he would serve as an analystIn sports broadcasting, a sports analyst provides expert discussion of sports-related topics before, during or after a sporting event. Sports analysts are frequently former athletes who participated in the sport being analyzed...
for radio broadcasts of Houston CougarsThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
games on Houston's KBMEKBME AM is a sports-talk radio station in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station airs local sports-talk every weekday from 6am until 9pm and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming.-History:The station first went...
.
Stats and honors
In his career with the San Diego/Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
and the Baltimore/Capital/Washington BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, 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 TeamThe 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
during the 1996–97 NBA season and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Hayes is also a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.
In 2003, Hayes was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of ChampionsThe San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/basketball/elvin-hayes/
Top scoring games
| Points |
Opponent |
Date |
| 54 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts|1968|November|13}} |
| 50 |
vs. Seattle SuperSonics |
{{Dts|1970|November|20}} |
| 49 {{small|(OT)}} |
vs. Seattle SuperSonics |
{{Dts|1970|January|30}} |
| 48 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1970|November|25}} |
| 47 |
at Golden State Warriors |
{{Dts|1977|March|13}} |
Top shot-blocking efforts
| Blocks |
Opponent |
Date |
| 13 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1968|December|28}} |
| 13 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
{{Dts|1971|March|19}} |
| 13 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1971|March|21}} |
| 11 |
Golden State Warriors
{{small|(at College Park, MD)}} |
{{Dts|1972|December|16}} |
| 11 |
at Detroit Pistons |
Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, LouisianaRayville is a town in, the parish seat of, and the largest community in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,234 at the 2000 census. It is also home of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center...
) is a retired American basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and radio analystIn sports broadcasting, a sports analyst provides expert discussion of sports-related topics before, during or after a sporting event. Sports analysts are frequently former athletes who participated in the sport being analyzed...
for Houston Cougars men's basketballThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
, where he played college basketball. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
, 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 ChaneyDonald Ray Chaney is an American former professional basketball player and coach, most notable for his long stints as a player on the Boston Celtics.-Career as a player:...
were the University of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
's first African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
basketball players in 1966.
In 1966, Hayes led the CougarsThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
into the Western Regional semi-finals of the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 22 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 7, 1966, and ended with the championship game on March 19 in College Park, Maryland...
before losing to the Pac-8 champion Oregon State BeaversThe Oregon State Beavers men's basketball program, established in 1901, is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of the Oregon State University Beavers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference. The team is coached by Craig...
.
In 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1967, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Louisville, Kentucky...
. 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-JabbarKareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
). His rebounding total is second to Bill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
's Final Four record of 27.
On January 20, 1968, the Big E and the Houston CougarsThe 1967–68 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The team played its home games at Delmar Fieldhouse in Houston for the second consecutive season. This season marked the team's ninth year as an...
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 AstrodomeReliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
, 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'The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
47-game winning streak in what has been called the "Game of the CenturyThe Game of the Century in college basketball was a historical NCAA game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins played on January 20, 1968 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. It was the first NCAA regular season game broadcast nationwide in prime time...
". 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 CentenaryCentenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
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 TournamentThe 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...
. He was held to 10 points, losing to Alcindor and the Bruins 69–101 in the semi final game.
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 DraftThe 1968 NBA Draft was the 22nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 3, 1968 and May 8, 1968 before the 1968–69 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
by the San Diego Rockets and by the Houston MavericksThe Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association. They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967 to 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Coliseum...
in the 1968 ABAThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
Draft.
NBA career
Hayes joined the NBA with the San Diego RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in 1968 and in his rookie year, he scored a career-high 54 points against the Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
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 TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
. 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 RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
or Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
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 UnseldWestley Sissel "Wes" Unseld is an American former basketball player. He spent his entire NBA career with the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988.-Early life and college career:Unseld starred on a Seneca High School team...
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 ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
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 SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
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 FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
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 RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. 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 HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
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."
For a while he owned a car dealership in Crosby, TexasCrosby is a census-designated place in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Crosby is located at ....
.
In November 2007, Hayes became a City of Liberty Police Reserve Officer, fulfilling a childhood dream. On November 22, 2010, it was announced that he would serve as an analystIn sports broadcasting, a sports analyst provides expert discussion of sports-related topics before, during or after a sporting event. Sports analysts are frequently former athletes who participated in the sport being analyzed...
for radio broadcasts of Houston CougarsThe Houston Cougars men's basketball team represents the University of Houston in Houston, Texas in U.S. NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The university is a member of Conference USA...
games on Houston's KBMEKBME AM is a sports-talk radio station in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station airs local sports-talk every weekday from 6am until 9pm and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming.-History:The station first went...
.
Stats and honors
In his career with the San Diego/Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
and the Baltimore/Capital/Washington BulletsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, 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 TeamThe 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
during the 1996–97 NBA season and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Hayes is also a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.
In 2003, Hayes was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of ChampionsThe San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface. http://www.sdhoc.com/awards/hall-of-fame/basketball/elvin-hayes/
Top scoring games
| Points |
Opponent |
Date |
| 54 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts|1968|November|13}} |
| 50 |
vs. Seattle SuperSonics |
{{Dts|1970|November|20}} |
| 49 {{small|(OT)}} |
vs. Seattle SuperSonics |
{{Dts|1970|January|30}} |
| 48 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1970|November|25}} |
| 47 |
at Golden State Warriors |
{{Dts|1977|March|13}} |
Top shot-blocking efforts
| Blocks |
Opponent |
Date |
| 13 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1968|December|28}} |
| 13 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
{{Dts|1971|March|19}} |
| 13 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1971|March|21}} |
| 11 |
Golden State Warriors
{{small|(at College Park, MD)}} |
{{Dts|1972|December|16}} |
| 11 |
at Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts |
| 10 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1969|February|12}} |
| 10 |
vs. San Francisco Warriors |
{{Dts|1970|January|8}} |
| 10 |
vs. San Francisco Warriors |
{{Dts|1970|February|14}} |
| 9 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1977|March|6}} |
| 8 |
vs. Kansas City Kings |
{{Dts|1976|March|18}} |
| 8 |
at Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1976|November|25}} |
| 8 |
vs. Chicago Bulls |
{{Dts|1979|November|14}} |
| 8 |
vs. San Antonio Spurs |
{{Dts|1980|February|22}} |
| 8 |
vs. Atlanta Hawks |
{{Dts|1980|March|28}} |
| 8 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts|1980|December|5}} |
Regular season
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
20 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts|1968|November|13}} |
| Field goals made |
20 |
vs. Kansas City Kings |
{{Dts|1976|December|15}} |
| Field goals made |
20 |
at Golden State Warriors |
{{Dts|1977|March|13}} |
| Field goal attempts |
45 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
{{Dts|1968|November|13}} |
| Free throws made, none missed |
— |
|
|
| Free throw attempts, none made |
0—8 |
vs. Portland Trail Blazers |
{{Dts|1972|March|26}} |
| Free throws made |
17 |
vs. Golden State Warriors |
{{Dts|1978|February|26}} |
| Free throw attempts |
23 |
at Cincinnati Royals |
{{Dts|1971|January|30}} |
| Rebounds |
35 |
at New York Knicks |
{{Dts|1971|January|19}} |
| Rebounds |
32 |
at Atlanta Hawks |
{{Dts |
| Rebounds |
30 |
vs. Los Angeles Lakers |
{{Dts|1970|December|5}} |
| Offensive rebounds |
11 |
vs. Phoenix Suns |
{{Dts|1979|January|5}} |
| Defensive rebounds |
28 |
at Atlanta Hawks |
{{Dts |
| Assists |
11 |
at Cleveland Cavaliers |
{{Dts|1971|December|1}} |
| Assists |
11 |
vs. San Antonio Spurs |
{{Dts|1984|April|13}} |
| Steals |
|
|
|
Playoffs
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
46 |
vs. Buffalo Braves |
{{Dts|1975|April|20}} |
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
19 |
at New York Knicks |
{{Dts|1974|March|29}} |
| Field goals made |
19 |
vs. Buffalo Braves |
{{Dts|1975|April|20}} |
| 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 |
{{Dts|1978|April|16}} |
| Offensive rebounds |
11 |
at Seattle SuperSonics |
{{Dts|1979|May|27}} |
| Defensive rebounds |
19 |
at Cleveland Cavaliers |
{{Dts|1977|April|15}} |
| Assists |
6 |
|
|
| Steals |
6 |
vs. Atlanta Hawks |
{{Dts|1979|April|24}} |
| Blocked shots |
8 {{small|(OT)}} |
vs. Cleveland Cavaliers |
{{Dts|1976|April|26}} |
NBA
College
Further reading
{{Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{UPI College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{Sporting News College Men's Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{Houston Cougars men's basketball}}
{{1967 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1968 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{NBA NumberOne Draft Picks}}
{{1968 NBA Draft}}
{{Washington Bullets 1977-78 NBA champions}}
{{Houston Rockets}}
{{Washington Wizards}}
{{1990 Basketball HOF}}
{{Basketball Hall of Fame forwards}}
{{NBA50}}
{{NBA scoring leaders}}
{{NBA rebounding leaders}}
External links
{{Persondata
|NAME = Hayes, Elvin
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Hayes, Elvin Ernest (full name)
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = American basketball player
|DATE OF BIRTH = November 17, 1945
|PLACE OF BIRTH = RayvilleRayville is a town in, the parish seat of, and the largest community in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,234 at the 2000 census. It is also home of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center...
, LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
|DATE OF DEATH =
|PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Elvin}}
| |