Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945), nicknamed "The Big E", is an American former professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma materHouston Cougars. He is a member of the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Known for both his offensive and defensive prowess, Hayes is often regarded as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. Hayes is also known for his longevity, being third all-time in NBA minutes played (at exactly 50,000), and missing only nine games during his 16-season career.[1]
Early life
In Hayes' senior year at Britton High School, he led his team to the state championship, after averaging 35 points a game during the regular season. In the championship game victory, Hayes scored 45 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.[1]
Houston's Hayes is carried in a victory celebration after the defeat of UCLA in the Game of the Century at the Astrodome
On January 20, 1968, Hayes and the Houston Cougars faced Alcindor 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 HoustonAstrodome, 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.
Hayes led Houston in scoring in each of three seasons (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. He has the most rebounds in NCAA tournament history at 222. While a student at Houston, Hayes was initiated into the Alpha Nu Omega Chapter of the Iota Phi Theta fraternity alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy.[4]
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. The Rockets had some inner turmoil because of percieved jealousy,
with forward Don Kojis asking for a trade rather than play for owner Bob Breitbard again. Newcomer coach Alex Hannum once labeled Hayes as "spoiled".[5]
In 1971, the Rockets moved to Houston, enabling Hayes to play in the city of his college triumphs. However, the one season with Tex Winter as coach did not end well, as his attempts at making him a passing center did not result in success.
Hayes with San Diego in 1969
Baltimore / Capital / Washington Bullets (1972–1981)
After a series of conflicts with Houston coach Tex Winter, Hayes was traded away to the Baltimore Bullets for Jack Marin and undisclosed considerations on June 23, 1972.[6]
In the 1974 NBA Playoffs, during the franchise's only year called the Capital Bullets, Hayes averaged postseason career-bests of 25.9 points and 15.9 rebounds per game in a Bullets 4–3 first round series loss to the New York Knicks.[7]
Hayes, along with co-star Wes Unseld, led the Washington Bullets to three NBA Finals appearances (1975, 1978 and 1979), and an NBA title over the Seattle SuperSonics in 1978. On March 3, 1978, Hayes set a career-high of 11 blocks in a single game, while also scoring 22 points and grabbing 27 rebounds, in a 124–108 win over the Detroit Pistons.[8] During the Bullets' championship run that postseason, while aided by the addition of Bob Dandridge, Hayes averaged 21.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in 21 playoff games, as Washington won their only NBA title to date.
Hayes set an NBA Finals record for most offensive rebounds in a game (11), the following year, in a May 27, 1979 game against the SuperSonics. The Chicago Bulls' Dennis Rodman would tie this record twice, both games coming in the 1996 NBA Finals, also against the SuperSonics.
Return to the Rockets (1981–1984)
Desiring to finish his playing career in Texas and preferably Houston, Hayes was sent back to the Rockets for second-round draft picks in 1981 (Charles Davis) and 1983 (Sidney Lowe) on June 8, 1981.[9][10]
Coaching career
After his playing career ended in 1984, Hayes was hired as the head coach of the Houston Shamrocks of the newly founded Women's American Basketball Association. However, Hayes only lasted two weeks and resigned after coaching the team for one game.[11]
Shortly after finishing his career in the NBA, Hayes returned to the University of Houston to finish the last 30 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."[12]
Hayes had his #44 jersey retired by the Houston Rockets on November 18, 2022.[15]
Personal life
Raised a Methodist, Hayes converted to Catholicism in the 1970s. During a moment of doubt, he went with his wife to a Pentecostal church. Encouraged by words about being answered in the open, he enclosed himself in his room with the Bible for days before claiming to be infused with the holy spirit.[16]
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 (twelfth all-time) and 16,279 rebounds (fourth all-time). He is the all-time leading scorer for the Washington Bullets/Wizards. 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 12 straight NBA All-Star Games from 1969 to 1980. He retired holding the NBA record for total regular-season minutes played, with exactly 50,000.
Formerly the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and Washington Bullets (1974–1997)
