Happy 80th Birthday, Elvin Hayes

Photo: Elvin Hayes goes up for a shot in 1973 as a member of the Washington Bullets. Photo credit: Jerry Wachter, Sporting News Archives.

Cover photo: Elvin Hayes during his Houston Rockets’ jersey retirement on Nov. 18, 2022. Photo credit: David J. Phillip, Associated Press.

An NBA legend celebrates a birthday on Nov. 17 as Hall of Fame big man Elvin Hayes turns 80. 

A native of Rayville, La., “Big E” attended high school at local Eula D. Britton. Hayes averaged 35 points per game as a senior and led his team during his time there to fifty-four consecutive victories. He scored 45 points in the Louisiana AA State championship game. The effort gifted him the Tournament MVP honor. Schools in Rayville and the surrounding area were still segregated back then, so the state tournament where Hayes won MVP involved only African-American schools.

Hayes attended the University of Houston from 1965-68, and twice (66-67, 67-68) was a 1st team All-American. He averaged 36.8 points and 18.9 rebounds per game as a senior, his rebounding average leading the NCAA. In 93 collegiate games, he averaged 31.0 points and 17.2 rebounds per game. Hayes was 3-time NCAA All-Region, named to the 1966-67 All NCAA Tournament team, and the UPI Player of the Year in 1967-68. 

In the 1968 NBA Draft, Hayes was drafted first overall by the San Diego Rockets. He is one of the three all-stars to emerge from that draft, along with Wes Unseld and Bob Kauffman. 

For the first four seasons of his career (and eight times overall) Hayes played in all 82 games. He never missed fewer than 80 games in a season, suiting up in 81 games seven times. He played 80 games in the 1975-76 season. 

Hayes also played over 40 minutes per game nine times, including leading the NBA in minutes per game in 1969-70 (44.7) and 1973-74 (44.5). In his first season, he led the NBA in field-goals made (11.3) and attempted per game (25.4). In his second and third seasons, Hayes led the NBA in field-goal attempts (24.6 and 27.0). He led the NBA in rebounds twice, once in 1969-70 (16.9) and 1973-74 (18.1). In 73-74, he also led the NBA in offensive (4.4) and defensive rebounds (13.7) per game. 

In his first twelve seasons, Hayes, incredibly, was an all-star in each season, never averaging fewer than 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. 

Elvin Hayes’ All-Star Seasons 

1968-69: 28.4 points (44.7% FG, 25.4 FGA), 17.1 rebounds, 45.1 minutes, 82 games, 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting 

1969-70: 27.5 points (45.2% FG, 24.6 FGA), 16.9 rebounds, 44.7 minutes, 82 games

1970-71: 28.7 points (42.8% FG, 27.0 FGA), 16.6 rebounds, 44.3 minutes, 82 games

1971-72: 25.2 points (43.4% FG, 23.4 FGA), 14.6 rebounds, 42.2 minutes, 82 games

Hayes was traded on June 23, 1972 from the now Houston Rockets to the Baltimore Bullets for forward Jack Marin.  

1972-73: 21.2 points (44.4% FG, 19.8 FGA), 14.5 rebounds, 41.3 minutes, 81 games, 2nd team All-NBA

1973-74: 21.4 points (42.3% FG, 20.1 FGA), 18.1 rebounds (1st), 44.5 minutes, 81 games, 2nd team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, 5th in MVP voting 

In the Capital Bullets’ 1974 first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks (a seven-game loss), Hayes averaged 25.9 points and 15.9 rebounds per game. 

1974-75: 19.8 points (44.3% FG, 20.3 FGA), 11.0 rebounds, 37.2 minutes, 80 games, 1st team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, 3rd in MVP voting 

The 74-75 Bullets won 60 games under head coach K.C. Jones and defeated the Buffalo Braves in seven games in the first round and the Boston Celtics in six games in the Conference Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in four games in the Finals. Hayes in the series scored 29 points in Game 1 and averaged 20.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.  

1975-76: 19.8 points (47.0% FG, 17.3 FGA), 11.0 rebounds, 37.2 minutes, 80 games, 2nd team All-NBA, 8th in MVP voting

1976-77: 23.7 points (50.1% FG, 18.5 FGA), 12.5 rebounds, 41.0 minutes, 1st team All-NBA, 7th in MVP voting 

1977-78: 19.7 points (45.1% FG, 17.4 FGA), 13.3 rebounds, 40.1 minutes

The 77-78 Bullets won 44 games under head coach Dick Motta and defeated the Atlanta Hawks in the first round (2-0), the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Conference Semifinals, and the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the Conference Finals before defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in seven games in the Finals. Hayes for that series posted game highs in Game 3 (29 points, 20 rebounds) and Game 6 (21 points, 15 rebounds) and averaged 20.7 points and 11.9 rebounds overall.   

1978-79: 21.8 points (48.7% FGA, 18.0 FGA), 12.1 rebounds, 37.9 minutes, 82 games, 1st team All-NBA, 3rd in MVP voting 

The 78-79 Bullets won 54 games and defeated the Hawks in the first round (seven games) and Spurs (seven games) in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing in five games in the Finals to the SuperSonics. In that series, Hayes posted game highs in rebounds (14 in Game 2) and points (29) in Game 5. 

1979-80: 23.0 points (45.4% FG, 20.7 FGA), 11.1 rebounds, 39.3 minutes, 81 games    

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In his 13th NBA season, Hayes posted averages of 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. Following that campaign, he was traded to the Rockets for two second-round draft picks. In his final two seasons, he posted 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds and 12.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. In his final season of 1983-84, he was limited to just 12.3 minutes per game, 5.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. 

For his 16-year career, Hayes in 1,303 games averaged 21.0 points (45.2% shooting on 18.6 attempts) and 12.5 rebounds per game in 38.4 minutes per game. He averaged 21.3 points and 12.7 rebounds as a Bullet (731 games, 40.0 minutes), and 20.6 points and 12.2 rebounds in 572 games as a Rocket (36.3 minutes).

Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990, Hayes is the all-time single-season leader in minutes in Bullets/Wizards franchise history, playing 3,602 total minutes during the 73-74 season. His 1,109 defensive rebounds during that same season is also a franchise record. He is the all-time franchise leader in field-goals made and attempted (6,251 for 13,658), free-throws and free-throw attempts (3,046 for 4,499) and offensive and defensive rebounds (2,225 and 5,903). His 15,551 points are first in franchise history, as are his 1,558 blocks. His 9.305 rebounds are second in franchise history to Unseld’s 13,769. His No. 11 jersey was retired by the Bullets on Nov. 20, 1981.

Hayes also is first in Rockets’ franchise history in minutes for a single season (3,695 in 68-69), minutes per game (45.1 in 68-69), and field-goals made and attempted (948 and 2,215 in 70-71). He occupies four spots in the franchise’s top 10 for rebounds per game in a season, having averaged 17.1 in 68-69 (2nd), 16.9 in 69-70 (3rd), 16.6 in 70-71 (4th), and 14.6 in 71-72 (8th). 

One of the best power forwards to ever play the game. Happy 80th, Elvin Hayes.