Dolph Schayes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adolph "Dolph" Schayes (known as Dolph Schayes) (born May 19, 1928 in New York, New York) is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. He was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and 12-time All-Star. Schayes played for the Nationals (and their reincarnation, the Philadelphia 76ers) from 1948 to 1964 in a Hall of Fame career.

Schayes attended Creston Junior High School 79 and DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, New York, and played his college basketball at New York University 1944-48. Although tall for his era at 6'8", Schayes was especially known for his deadly, high-arcing, outside set-shot. Defenders who attempted to deny him the outside shot were confronted by his powerful drive to the basket. These two offensive weapons served him well, even as the NBA was transitioning into a league of jump-shooters. Early in Schayes' career, he broke his right arm and played almost an entire season in a cast. Oddly, this injury became a seminal point in Schayes' development: he learned to shoot with his off-hand, making him especially difficult to guard. He was one of the best — and the last — to use a two-handed set-shot with feet planted on the floor, before the game changed to one-handed jump shots.^[1]

In the NBA, Schayes did not miss a single game from February 17, 1952 until December 26, 1961 (a streak of 706 games). Schayes led the NBA in rebounding (16.4 rpg) during 1950-51 season, and led the NBA in free throw percentage three times.^[2] Dolph Schayes was a six time All-NBA First-Team honoree and was also selected to the All-NBA Second-Team six times.^[2] Upon retirement in 1964, Schayes held the NBA records for career scoring (19,249 points) and games played (1,059). In 1996, Schayes was selected as one of the 50 Greatest NBA players of all-time.

On the sidelines, Schayes won NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1966.

Schayes made Syracuse, New York, his home upon his arrival in 1948, and, even though the Syracuse Nats left the city in 1963, he still makes his home there. When Larry Costello (a native of nearby Minoa, New York, and a teammate of Schayes' on the Syracuse Nationals) died in 2001, Schayes became the only remaining member of the Syracuse Nationals basketball team to still be living and working in that Upstate New York community.

He is the father of retired NBA journeyman center Danny Schayes. Schayes is also noteworthy as one of the few NBA players in history who is Jewish.

[edit] References