Elvin E. Hayes

Enshrined 1990
Born: November 17, 1945
Rayville, LA

Possessing a notorious turnaround jump shot, Elvin Hayes thrived for sixteen NBA seasons. As a collegian, his most memorable moment came on January 20, 1968 when Hayes out-dueled Lew Alcindor and UCLA in front of a capacity crowd of 52,693 at the Houston Astrodome. In the first-ever, nationally televised college game in history, Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds for Houston, ending UCLA's 47-game win streak in what has been called "The Game of the Century." Hayes began his pro career in 1968 as the first overall pick in the draft by the San Diego Rockets. His rookie campaign was scintillating: Hayes scored 28.4 ppg, led the NBA in scoring, and was named to the All-Rookie Team. As a Baltimore/Washington Bullet, he teamed with Hall of Famer Wes Unseld to form a dominating frontcourt combination that led the Bullets to three NBA Finals and an NBA title over Seattle in 1978. As a three-time All-America, Hayes led Houston to an 81-12 record and two Final Four appearances.