Dolph Schayes is a former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball League. In 1955, he became an NBA Champion while with the then-Syracuse Nationals.
After he retired from playing, he started coaching. In 1966, he was named the NBA Coach of the Year.
Player Profile and Personal Life
Adolph Schayes was born on May 19, 1928, in The Bronx, New York in the United States of America. He stands 203 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 88 kg. He shot with his right and he played power forward.
Position | Center |
Height / weight | 2.03 m / 88 kg |
Born | 19 May 1928 |
Died | 10 Dec 2015 (87 years) |
Nationality | United States |
Playing Style | Right Handed |
Nickname | Dolph |
Team History | |
Philadelphia | 1949 - 1964 |
He is the father of retired NBA player Danny Schayes. He also has three granddaughters who played volleyball in the Maccabiah Games, representing the United States of America.
He died of cancer on December 10, 2015, at the age of 87 in Syracuse, New York.
High School and College Career
He attended DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx. Later, he committed to play for the New York University from 1944 to 1948. At that time, he was given the Haggerty Award.
Professional Career
He was drafted in 1948 by the New York Knicks. But he chose to play for the then-Syracuse Nationals, who would later become the Philadelphia 76ers.
He would play his entire career for the 76ers. In that time, he was named an NBA All-Star twelve times. In 1955, he helped lead his team to the NBA Championship. He was also named six times each to the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA Second Team.
He performed consistently well as a player and in 1951, he led the league in rebounds. He retired from the sport in 1964. But before that, he had started to coach for the 76ers. He was head coach for the team from 1963 to 1966.
From 1970 to 1972, he coached the former NBA team, the Buffalo Bills.
After he retired from the sport, he was named to the 25th, 50th, and 75th NBA anniversary teams. The Philadelphia 76ers also retired his jersey number in his honor.
In 1973, he was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2006, he was named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Career Highlights
As a player:
- 1955 - NBA champion
- 1951–1962 - NBA All-Star
- 1952–1955, 1957, 1958 - All-NBA First Team
- 1950, 1951, 1956, 1959–1961 - All-NBA Second Team
1951 - NBA rebounding leader
NBA anniversary team (25th, 50th, 75th)
- 1949 - NBL Rookie of the Year
- No. 4 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
- 1948 - Haggerty Award
As a coach:
- 1966 - NBA Coach of the Year
NBA Career Statistics
- Points - 19,249 (18.2 ppg) (NBL/BAA/NBA), 18,438 (18.5 ppg) (BAA/NBA)
- Rebounds - 11,256 (12.1 rpg),
Assists - 3,072 (3.1 apg)
- Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, 1973
- College Basketball Hall of Fame, 2006
Team History:
As a coach:
- 1963–1966 - Philadelphia 76ers
- 1970–1972 - Buffalo Braves