Elvin Hayes, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer

• Elvin Hayes is a former American basketball player often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history
• His No. 11 jersey is retired by the Washington Wizards, and No. 44 is retired by the Houston Rockets and the Houston Cougars
• Hayes is an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams

Elvin Hayes is a former American basketball player often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. 

Hayes is an inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams. He is also an NBA Champion, 12-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All-NBA Second Team and NBA Rookie First Team.

Elvin Hayes is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. Photo/ NBA.com.

The 1969 NBA scoring champion is remembered for both his offensive and defensive prowess. During his 16-year career in the NBA, Elvin Hayes missed just 16 games. He is third all-time in NBA minutes played (at 50,000). 

His No. 11 jersey is retired by the Washington Wizards, and his No. 44 is retired by the Houston Rockets and the Houston Cougars. 

Early Life 

Elvin Hayes was born in Rayville, Louisiana, U.S., on November 17, 1947. He attended Britton High School in Louisiana, where he averaged 35 points per game. 

During his senior year at high school, Hayes led his team to the state championship, averaging 35 points per game in the regular season. He scored 45 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the championship game victory. 

Hayes then went to the University of Houston (Texas), leading the team into the Western Regional semifinals of the 1966 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. He led the Cougars to the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Division Basketball Tournament in 1967. 

During the semifinal match with UCLA Bruins, Hayes scored 25 points and managed 24 rebounds in the 73-58 loss. On January 20, 1968, Hayes scored 39 points and got 15 rebounds as the Houston Cougars defeated UCLA Bruins 71-69 in the first-ever nationally-televised regular-season college basketball. 

Hayes’ impressive performance earned him the Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year. During his college career, he averaged 31 points and 17.2 rebounds per game and was named All-America three times. 

Career 

Elvin Hayes joined the NBA in 1968 with the San Diego Rockets. He averaged 28.4 points per game and 17.1 rebounds per game as a rookie. His scoring average is the fifth-best all-time for a rookie. 

In his second season, he led the NBA in rebounds, becoming the first player to lead in rebounding besides Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell since 1957. 

On June 23, 1972, the Rockets traded Elvin Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin. The main reason for the transfer was because Hayes was feuding with head coach Tex Winter. 

Hayes led the Baltimore Bullets, later known as the Washington Bullets, to the 1978 NBA title. He retired in 1984 as the second-leading scorer in the league’s history with 27,313 points and third in rebounds with 16,279. 

Post-Playing Career

Elvin Hayes. Photo/ FOX 26 Houston.

After ending his NBA career, Elvin Hayes returned to the University of Houston to finish the last 30 credit hours of his undergraduate degree. 

He became a Liberty County, Texas, sheriff’s deputy in November 2007. This had been his dream since childhood. 

FAQs 

Who is Elvin Hayes? 

Elvin Hayes is a former American basketball player often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. 

Why did the Rockets trade Elvin Hayes? 

Elvin Hayes was traded to the Baltimore Bullets in 1972 for Jack Marin, even though Marin was not at the same level as Hayes. Despite being a top player, the Rockets released Elvin because he was feuding with coach Tex Winter at the time. 

Did Elvin Hayes win Rookie of the Year? 

In his first season in the NBA, Hayes led the Houston Rockets to a 37-45 record and received the first of his 12 consecutive All-Star nods.

Despite averaging 28.4 points and 17.1 rebounds in 82 games, Hayes never won the Rookie of the Year. However, he was NBA All-Rookie First Team. 

Who did Elvin Hayes play for in the NBA? 

Hayes played 16 seasons in the NBA, beginning and ending his career with the San Diego Rockets. He debuted with the San Diego Rockets in 1968 and retired as a Houston Rocket after the 1983-84 season.