Elvin Hayes was one of the most sought after high school recruits. At Eula D. Britton High in Rayville, La., Hayes averaged 35 points per game and led his team to 54 straight wins. Hayes eventually chose the University of Houston and led the Cougars to two Final Four appearances. As a collegian, Hayes will be most remembered for his duel with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and UCLA at a sold-out Astrodome. Hayes scored 39 points and had 15 rebounds, as Houston ended UCLA's 47-game win streak.

Hayes began his NBA career with the San Diego Rockets, but his most memorable moments came as a Baltimore/Washington Bullet.

Hayes was the first overall pick in the 1968 draft. After four seasons with the Rockets, he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets in 1972. The "Big E" thrived with the Bullets. Hayes and Wes Unseld formed one of the most dominating frontcourt combinations in the 1970s. With Hayes, the Bullets went to three NBA Finals and won an NBA title in 1978. Before retiring in 1984, Hayes returned to the Rockets for three seasons.

Hayes was among the NBA's all-time leaders in many statistical categories, including scoring (27,313 points), games played (1,303), minutes (50,000) and rebounds (16,279). The "Big E," who played in 12 consecutive NBA All-Star Games from 1969-80, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Career Statistics
G	M	FG%	3-P%	FT%	RPG	APG	Stl	Blk	Pts	PPG
1303	50,000	.452	.147	.670	12.5	1.8	864	1771	27,313	21.0