Here are the major career highlights for Elvin Hayes (“The Big E”), one of the NBA’s greatest power forwards/centers:

• College Stardom

  • Starred at the University of Houston (1965–1968).

  • Key player in the famous “Game of the Century” vs. UCLA and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1968.

  • Twice named a consensus All-American.

  • 1968 National College Player of the Year.

  • Finished college career with 2,884 points (at the time, 2nd all-time in NCAA history).

• NBA Career (1968–1984)

  • Drafted 1st overall in 1968 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets.

  • NBA scoring champion (1969) as a rookie (28.4 PPG).

  • Played for the San Diego/Houston Rockets and Washington Bullets.

  • 12× NBA All-Star (1969–1980).

  • 6× All-NBA Team selection.

  • 2× NBA All-Defensive Team selection.

  • Helped lead the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship (averaged 21.8 PPG & 13 RPG in playoffs).

  • Played in 3 NBA Finals (1975, 1978, 1979).

  • Retired as the 3rd all-time leading scorer in NBA history (now outside top 10).

  • Career stats: 27,313 points (21.0 PPG), 16,279 rebounds (12.5 RPG), 2,398 blocks.

• Legacy

  • Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1990).

  • Member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team (1996) and 75th Anniversary Team (2021).