NAISMITH MEMORIAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME MEMBER

#11 Elvin Hayes - F

Elvin Hayes Career NBA Stats 1968-1984
G
FGA
FGM
FG%
PTS
PPG
3PTA
3PTM
3PT%
FTA
FTM
FT% AST
APG
REB
RPG
BLK
STL
1,303
24,272
10,976
45.2
27,313
21.0
34
5
14.7
7,999
5,356
67.0
2,398
1.8
16,279
12.5
1,771
864
 

 

Elvin Earnest Hayes was born on November 17, 1945 in Rayville, LA. He is the son of Savannah and Christopher Hayes. Baseball was Hayes favorite sport growing up. He had no intentions of playing basketball until an incident in school landed him on the basketball team. After working on his game, Hayes would become one of the best basketball players in the country.  

 

 

Hayes attended Britton High School. Hayes led his high school team to 54 straight wins and a state title. He was named a high school All-American for his dominant play. With college offers from across the nation, Hayes was not short on options. He decided to play college basketball at the University of Houston.

 

Elvin Hayes College Career Stats and Notes

Hayes played for the University of Houston from 1965-68. He averaged 31 points and 17 rebounds per game during his college career. He led the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament each season he played, including a NCAA Final Four berth in 1967. On January 20, 1968, the Cougars battled the unbeaten UCLA Bruins led by the great Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). In what was dubbed the ‘Game of the Century’ as it was the first nationally televised college basketball game at a packed Astrodome in Houston, Hayes poured in 39 points and 15 rebounds as his Cougars defeated the top ranked Bruins 71-69. The loss snapped the Bruins 47-game win streak. Hayes was voted College Player of the Year that year as well as First Team All-American for the second straight year.

 

Awards and Achievements
MVP
All-NBA

1st Team: 1975, 1977, 1979

2nd Team: 1973, 1974, 1976

All-Star Selections
1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
Scoring Titles
1969
NBA Finals MVP
Achievements

NBA Champion

1977-78

NBA All Defensive Second Team

1974, 1975

Member of 1968-69 NBA All Rookie First Team

Member of NBA 50th Anniversary All Time Team

Member of NBA 75th Anniversary All Time Team

 

 

Elvin Hayes NBA Career Stats and Notes

Hayes was selected 1st overall in the 1968 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets. Nicknamed 'The Big E', Hayes spent seven seasons with the Rockets franchise which bookended his NBA career. He spent the first four seasons with San Diego and his last three seasons in Houston. In between Hayes spent nine years with the Baltimore/Washington Bullets franchise from 72-81. Hayes was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.

 

Elvin Hayes NBA Champion

By the time the 1977-78 season rolled around, Hayes had already put in a solid nine-year NBA career but a championship was missing from his resume. That all changed that season. The Washington Bullets, led by Hayes and future Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, reached the NBA Finals for the third time in the 1970s (made the Finals a fourth time the following year). They faced off against the Seattle SuperSonics. In a series that went to distance, the Bullets won Game seven on the road to secure their first ever NBA title. Hayes led the Bullets with 20 points and 11 rebounds a game average during the Finals.

 

 

List of Basketball Hall of Fame Members