At one point in time, Elvin Hayes was so clumsy and non-athletic that many thought he would never have a career in the sports realm but, during his high school tenure, he continuously worked on his game and led his alma mater to a state championship with 45 points and 20 rebounds. Hayes was drafted first overall in the 1968 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets and at 6'9" earned twelve NBA All-Star honors while averaging 21 points per game throughout his career.
While playing for the Washington Bullets, Hayes and his teammates won an NBA title against the Seattle Supersonics in 1978. Hayes broke the NBA record for most offensive rebounds in an NBA Finals game during the series. Elvin Hayes played a total of sixteen years in the pros and is a member of the 50th Anniversary NBA All-Time Team.