Elvin Hayes

Who is Elvin Hayes?

Elvin Ernest Hayes, also known as “The Big E,” is a well-known retired American basketball player. Elvin Hayes made a name for himself in the 1970s and is now a top academic and professional player. He is also a radio analyst for his alma mater, the Houston Cougars.

Similarly, Hayes spent 16 seasons in the NBA.

Elvin is also a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Most individuals may be familiar with Elvin merely by name, but not in depth.

So, now, let’s delve into Elvin Ernest Hayes’ biography and cover everything from his early profession, family, schooling, net worth, and so much more.

We will also investigate his social life and any concerns he may have.

But for now, let us look at some quick facts about Elvin’s life.

Elvin Hayes | Childhood, Family, and Education

Elvin was the sixth child born to Christopher Hayes, a proud father, and Savannah Hayes, a supportive mother.

They worked as cotton mill laborers in Rayville, Louisiana, a small, impoverished town.

Hayes had lived through the darkest period of his life since his childhood.

When he didn’t even own a shoe and had to ask his cousin for permission to go somewhere.

As African Americans were abused, Elvin’s favorite sport, baseball, provided an escape from the prejudice and aggression directed at his race.

Similarly, the start of a basketball career was entirely coincidental.

Despite the fact that he was a good student throughout high school, Hayes was frequently blamed for class misbehavior.

Furthermore, in order to steer Elvin away from the perilous turn in his life, the respected John Calvin chose to place Elvin on the basketball team.

He taught and trained students at Eula D. Britton High School.

Hayes was awkward at first, but he practiced a lot.

Hayes developed his signature move, the turnaround jumper, later in his junior year.

Elvin also saw that his outside shooting was insufficient, so he developed the turnaround jumper to counteract taller opponents.

Furthermore, Hayes led his team to 54 straight victories and a state tournament while scoring 35 points each game.

Because he was a great baseball player, the Hayes family’s youngest son was named to All-Conference, All-State, and All-America teams.

Furthermore, during his senior year of high school, he was voted “Most Valuable Player (MVP)” by his peers.

More Facts About Elvin Hayes

Struggle

“I used to play Little League when I was in elementary school, but I didn’t have any shoes.”

In fact, from fifth to ninth grade, I went barefoot because I didn’t own shoes.

When I first started playing basketball, I wore trashed two-left-footed tennis shoes that I taped to my feet.”
-Mr. Elvin Hayes

Elvin Hayes’s Age, Height, and Body Dimensions

Hayes, the former star player, was born on November 17, 1945, making him 76 years old in 2022.

He measures 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm) tall and weighs approximately 235 lb (107 kg).

Elvin is not the tallest player in the NBA, but he is one of the tallest.

Hayes also has brown eyes and black curly hair, which complement his facial features nicely.

Elvin Ernest had a strong frame and a well-kept body back in the day.

He exercised frequently and had a rigorous diet.

He is a Scorpio man based on his birth date.

Scorpios are renowned to be career-oriented and diligent workers. And in his instance, this could be true.

Elvin Hayes | College Experience

Elvin was pursued by almost 100 colleges and universities.

But Hayes selected the University of Houston, where he and Don Chaney were the most prominent African-American basketball players.

Hayes led the Cougars to the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament Western Regional Semi-Finals in 1966. In 1966, however, he was defeated by the Pac-8 champion Oregon State Beavers.

Elvin led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament the next year without losing hope or energy.

Similarly, in a 73-58 semi-final loss to the eventual victor UCLA Bruins, including Lew Alcindor, he made 31 field goals, 25 points, and 24 rebounds (today identified as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Hayes’ rebounding total is second only to Bill Russell’s Final Four total of 27.

Despite their attempts, the Big E and the Houston Cougars went after Lew and the UCLA Bruins after the game.

It was also featured in the first-ever national onscreen regular season academic basketball game.

Elvin scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds in front of 52,693 fans at the Houston Astrodome while holding Alcindor to only 15 points.

Finally, in what has been dubbed the “Game of the Century,” Houston defeated UCLA 71-69, ending the Bruins’ 47-game winning streak.

Hayes was named The Sporting News College Basketball Player of the Year as a result of the game.

Hayes attributed his success to his trainer, Guy Lewis.

He also stated that Coach Lewis and his assistant “were like fathers to us, treating every one of us the same—black or white.”

Following the Re-Match

In the 1968 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, Elvin faced Alcindor and UCLA at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.

It was a re-enactment of the “Game of the Century.”

UCLA trainer John Wooden insisted on a “triangle and two” zone defense.

Similarly, Alcindor was scheduled to play behind Hayes, with Lynn Shackleford facing him.

He just had 10 points as Elvin fell 101-69 to Alcindor and the Bruins in the semi-final game.

After defeating UCLA in the Game of the Century at the Astrodome, Houston’s Hayes was greeted with a triumphant celebration.

Similarly, Elvin led Houston in scoring 27.2 points per game, 28.4, and 36.8 for three years in a row.

Hayes averaged 31.0 points per game and 17.2 rebounds during his collegiate career.

With 222 recoils, he holds the record for the most in NCAA tournament history.

While a student at Houston, Hayes joined the Iota Phi Theta fraternity’s Alpha Nu Omega Chapter, where he met future Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy.

Elvin was also selected first overall in both the 1968 NBA and 1968 ABA drafts after graduating from college.

Similarly, the professional football teams San Diego Rockets and Houston Mavericks both took him in.

NBA Career of Elvin Hayes

In 1968, Hayes joined the San Diego Rockets in the NBA.

He averaged around 17.1 rebounds per game while scoring 28.4 points per game.

Elvin was also named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Team.

Hayes also became the fifth-best recruit of all time, and he is the last rookie to lead the NBA in scoring average.

On November 11, 1968, he set a career-high with 54 points against the Detroit Pistons.

Elvin led the NBA in rebounding in another season.

This made him the first player not named Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain to lead the team since 1957.

(Chamberlain was hurt throughout the season).

In his third season, Hayes averaged a career-high 28.7 points per game.

Similarly, the Rockets relocated to Houston in 1971, allowing Elvin to perform in the city of his college triumphs.

Bullets of Baltimore/Capital/Washington

Elvin joined the Bullets in 1975 when he was acquired in exchange for Jack Marin.

Hayes led the Washington Bullets to three NBA Finals (1975, 1978, and 1979), and the Seattle Supersonics won the NBA title in 1978.

Similarly, he averaged 21.8 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in 21 postseason games with the Bullets during their championship season (1978).

Hayes also set an NBA Finals record for most offensive rebounds in a game against the Seattle Supersonics.

Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls set this record twice, both times against the Seattle Supersonics in the 1996 NBA Finals.

Back to Rockets

In 1981, Elvin was returned to the Rockets in exchange for second-round draft picks.

Not to mention that Hayes wanted to end his playing career in Texas, ideally in Houston.

“I had no desire to work in athletics.” Basketball, on the other hand, provided me independence, which I never imagined I’d have.”

Summary Career Stats

After Basketball | Elvin Hayes

Elvin returned to his university after his basketball career ended to complete the remaining course hours for his undergrad degree.

Elvin enrolled in the University of Houston in 1986 and earned a B.A. in both recreation and speaking

He also considered many business possibilities and grew cattle on his ranch in Texas in order to open a car dealership in Houston.

During one of the interviews, Elvin stated that studying was more challenging than playing professional basketball for 16 years. He stated,

“I played pro basketball for 16 years, but this is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.”

Elvin joined the City of Liberty Police Reserve in 2007.

He stated that being one was his childhood desire.

Following his service, he became a radio analyst for the Houston Cougars, broadcasting games on Houston’s KBME.

Based on this, it is apparent that Elvin had an exciting career.

Elvin Hayes | Achievements, Awards, and Honors

Before beginning his professional career, Hayes was already a strong player.

When Hayes retired in 1984, he was ranked high in numerous NBA statistical categories.

It featured third place in scoring (27,313 points), third place in rebounds (16,279), third place in obstructed shots (1,743), and first place in minutes played (nearly 50,000).

He only missed 9 games in 16 seasons and finished third in most games played (1,303).

Highlights and honors in your career

• 1967-1968: Consensus first-team All-American, UPI Player of the Year, Associated Press Player of the Year, Consensus first-team All-American, Sporting News Player of the Year, Consensus first-team All-American, Consensus first-team All-American, Consensus first-team All-
• 1969-1970: NBA scoring champion, All-Rookie First Team, NBA All-Star 12 times (1969-1980), NBA rebounding leader
• 1973-1979: All-NBA Second Team three times, NBA All-Defensive Second Team twice, All-NBA First Team twice, NBA Champion (1978)
• Basketball’s 50th Anniversary Team
• Team NBA 75th Anniversary
• The Washington Wizards retired No. 11.
• Houston Cougars retired No. 44.

Personal Life and Children of Elvin Hayes

Elvin is blissfully married to Erna Livingston, his long-term girlfriend. Erica, Erna Elisse, and Elvin Hayes Jr. are the couple’s four children.

They Call Me the “Big E,” Hayes’ autobiography co-written with Bill Gilbert, provides many insights into Elvin’s personality but covers little particular personal information.

For biographical information, Scott Crawford’s “Elvin Hayes” in African American Sports Greats (1999), corrected by David Porter, is a good source.

H. Sports Star Elvin (1980) by Burchard is a worthy babyish book on Hayes.

“No Back Seat for Elvin,” by David Llores, Ebony (March 1968), contains household information that is not available elsewhere.

“The Big E Wants an MVP,” Sports DemonsOctober 16(October 16, 1978), by John Papanek, is an excellent appraisal of Hayes’ performance.

The NBA History website also has information regarding Elvin’s career.

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Elvin Hayes | Online Presence:

Elvin Hayes does not use social media.

He lives a very secluded life and has very little social media presence.

Elvin’s personal Twitter handle is @elvin.hayes.