Dolph Schayes was one of professional basketball's early superstars, a crack shooter and top rebounder whose career stretched from the NBA's inaugural year to basketball's emergence as a major sporting attraction. But more than any thing he was known as the star and cornerstone of the Syracuse Nationals.

The 6-foot-8 Schayes, an agile forward who possessed great finesse around the basket, was one of the NBA's most durable and hard working athletes. During his career, he played in 764 straight games (including playoffs). He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was the first player in NBA history to score 15,000 points. Schayes, a college All-American at New York University, lead the NBA in free throw shooting three times (1958, 1960, 1962) and shot an impressive .844 for a career. Upon his retirement in 1964, Schayes played in 1,059 games, more than any other player in NBA history, and retired as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (19,249 points) and also grabbed 11,256 rebounds.

Schayes was drafted in 1948 by both the New York Knickerbockers (BAA) and the Tri-Cities Hawks (NBL), with his draft rights obtained by the Syracuse Nationals. He chose Syracuse, and was named 1949 NBL Rookie of the Year, averaging 12.9 ppg. Schayes, who led the Nats into the playoffs 15 times, led the NBA in rebounding in 1951 with a 16.4 average. After losing in the NBA finals in 1950 and 1954, Schayes earned a championship ring in 1955 when the Nats defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons in seven games. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1972.

 

Schayes died in Dec. 2015 at the age of 87.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1948: Graduated New York University as a four-year letter winner; All-American honors. 1948 ; Added to the 1948 Olympic roster by Adolph Rupp.
1949-1963: NBA Syracuse Nationals. NBA championship 1955.

1955: NBL Rookie of the Year.

1963-1964: Player/coach NBA Philadelphia 76er’s. First coach ever hired by the 76er’s.

1966: NBA Coach of the Year.

1966-1970: Served as supervisor of NBA referees.

1970: NBA 25 th Anniversary All-Time Team; Named the head coach of a new franchise, the Buffalo Braves.

1972: Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

1977: Head coach of the U.S. Maccabiah Games basketball team.

1996: NBA 50 th Anniversary All-Time Team.

All-NBA First Team: 1952-1955, 1957-1958

All-NBA Second Team: 1950, 1951, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1961

Twelve-time NBA All-Star: 1951-1962