Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945 in Rayville, Louisiana) is a retired American basketball player. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Rayville is a town in the Parish seat of and the largest community in Richland Parish, Louisiana, United States. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America In an organised Sports league, a season is the portion of one Year in which regulated Games of the sport are in session The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association 's (NBA thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in The 1968 NBA Draft produced future Hall of Famers with the first two picks Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld. This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. Points in Basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. In Basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top Rookies during the regular The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Rayville is a town in the Parish seat of and the largest community in Richland Parish, Louisiana, United States. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen

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

One of only four numbers retired by the University of Houston men's basketball team, Hayes's #44 hangs in Hofheinz Pavilion. The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research Hofheinz Pavilion is an 8500-seat multi-purpose Arena on the University of Houston campus in Houston Texas.

See also: List of college men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds

Hayes and Don Chaney were the University of Houston's first African American Basketball players in 1966. The men's Division I collegiate basketball players who have reached both 2000 points and 1000 rebounds in their respective careers Numbers in italicized bold Donald Ray Chaney (born March 22, 1946 in Baton Rouge Louisiana) is an American former professional Basketball player and coach most notable The University of Houston (often referred to as " U of H," " UH," or " Houston " is a public doctoral/research African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar.

In 1966, He led the Houston 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. The 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 The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University, a University located in Corvallis Oregon in the United States

In 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 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 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). The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California Los Angeles (UCLA Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr; April 16 1947 is an American athlete and retired professional Basketball player widely considered As of 2007, The rebounds are second to Bill Russell's NCAA tournament Final Four record of 27. William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional Basketball ^[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. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California Los Angeles (UCLA 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". For the aeronautical use see Astrodome (aviation Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome The Game of the Century in college Basketball was an NCAA historical game between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA That game helped earned Hayes The Sporting News College Basketball Player Of The Year. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports

One month later, he grabbed a career-high 37 rebounds in a game against Centenary on February 10. For other institutions of higher education using the name Centenary College see Centenary College Centenary College

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. The 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 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. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. 2 points per game, 1967 28. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. 4, and 1968 36. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 8). For his college career, Hayes averaged 31. 0 points per game and 17. 2 rebounds per game.

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. The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. The Detroit Pistons are a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare 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. This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top rookie single-season scoring averages This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top rookie single-season rebounding averages The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top Rookies during the regular 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). William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional Basketball Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards In Hayes' third season, 1970-71, he scored a career best 28. 7 points per game. 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. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Westley Sissel "Wes" Unseld (born March 14 1946 in Louisville Kentucky) is an American former Basketball player 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. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards

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. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Seattle SuperSonics (also called the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional Basketball team based in Seattle Washington that played 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. The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

On June 8, 1981, Hayes was traded to the Houston Rockets. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. The "Big E" closed out his career with the Rockets in 1984, who had relocated to Houston. Hayes had a career scoring average of 21. 0 points and 12. 5 rebounds per game.

After Basketball

For a while he owned a car dealership in Crosby, Texas. Crosby is a Census-designated place (CDP in Harris County, Texas, United States. As of November, 2007, Hayes graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy Sunday to become a Liberty County sheriff's deputy, fulfilling a childhood dream. Liberty County is a County located in the US state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown Metropolitan Area. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. ^[3]

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 (sixth all-time). The Houston Rockets are an American professional Basketball team based in Houston Texas. 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. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar)

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. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season of the National Basketball Association. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

Hayes is also a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

See also

• List of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season

References

1. ^ NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Individual and Team Records
2. ^ ^{a b} 2007-2008 UCLA Men's Basketball Media Guide - PDF copy available at www. The Iota Phi Theta Fraternity ( ΙΦΘ) is a nationally incorporated predominantly African-American fraternity was founded on September 19 1963 The following is a list of individual National Basketball Association scoring leaders by season. uclabruins. com. pg. 61 Post Season Scoring Recaps
3. ^ Local basketball legend now a sheriff's deputy

External links

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

Further reading

• Heisler, Mark (2003). Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-577-1.