Schayes, Dolph (1928-2015), became one of the early stars of modern professional basketball. Schayes was one of the leading scorers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) throughout the 1950’s and early 1960’s. At 6 feet 8 inches (203 centimeters) in height, he played both forward and center. He had an effective outside set shot and was one of the most accurate free-throw shooters in league history.
Adolph Schayes was born in New York City on May 19, 1928. He played college basketball at New York University, graduating in 1948. Schayes played professional basketball for 16 seasons, starting with the Syracuse Nationals of the National Basketball League (NBL) in the 1948-1949 season. Schayes was named the NBL Rookie of the Year his first season. The Syracuse franchise moved to the NBA in 1949. Schayes was a star on the Syracuse team that won the NBA championship in 1955. The Nationals moved to Philadelphia in 1963 and changed the team name to the 76ers.
Schayes played one season with the 76ers and retired in 1964 with an NBA career scoring average of 18.5 points a game. Schayes coached the 76ers from 1963 to 1966 and the Buffalo Braves in 1970 and 1971. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973. Schayes died on Dec. 10, 2015. Danny Schayes, Dolph’s son, also played in the NBA.
