Hall of Famer big man Schayes left flair on court
syracuse, n.y.» Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes, a 12-time All-Star who refined the big man’s role in the infancy of the National Basketball Association, died Thursday. He was 87.
Schayes was diagnosed with terminal cancer six months ago and died after being stricken with a severe infection, said his son Danny Schayes, a former Nuggets player.
Dolph Schayes was the franchise player for the old Syracuse Nationals from 1948-1964 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. He revolutionized the post position, always in perpetual motion instead of just planting himself in the paint.
As a 16-year-old freshman center, Schayes led New York University to the NCAA Final Four. He played his entire 16-season career with the Syracuse franchise, scoring 18,438 points and snaring 11,256 rebounds.
The 6-foot-8 Schayes was a seminal figure in the game. With a deadly twohanded, high-arcing set shot that he stubbornly used well into the era of the jump shot, he helped redefine the big man in the NBA.
“Dolph Schayes was one of the most influential figures in NBA history,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “He helped the NBA grow from its earliest days, emerging as one of the game’s first stars and displaying the kind of passion for competition and commitment to excellence that has come to define our league.”
Schayes grew up in the Bronx during the Great Depression and delivered laundry for cash. He honed his game in the schoolyards of Junior High 79 and DeWitt Clinton High School.