50th Anniversary of the 24-Second Blodgett School – Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Biography of Adolph “Dolph” Schayes

Born in 1928 in New York City, Adolph “Dolph” Schayes was ’s All-American (1948) prior to being drafted by the Syracuse Nationals and only to become the NBA’s 1949 Rookie of the Year. Schayes went on to spend the next sixteen years in Syracuse before traveling with the team in 1964, when it relocated to Philadelphia and became the ’76ers.

During Schayes’ time in Syracuse, the “Nats” earned a reputation as a perennial playoff favorite, winning the franchise’s only NBA title while based in Syracuse, in 1955. Also while with the “Nats,” Schayes had the honor of playing in 12 consecutive NBA All-Star Games from 1951 to 1962.

Following the 1964 relocation of the “Nats” to Philadelphia, Schayes undertook a new role as the player/coach of the ’76ers. However, his time as a player/coach was limited, and he resigned his duties as a player after only one season to assume the role of Philadelphia’s first full-time coach. Within three years, Schayes’ lead the ’76ers to two third-place finishes in the Eastern Division and the 1965-66 title. Subsequently, he was named Coach of the Year, 1965-66. In 1970, Schayes left Philadelphia for Buffalo, where he coached the Braves until retiring from professional in 1972.

In his thirteen year career as a professional basketball player, Dolph Schayes garnered five league records including: most consecutive games played, most minutes played, most free throws made, most field goals, and most points scored at 19,249 – a record which wasn’t surpassed until the great . He finished his career fourth all-time in rebounding with 11,770 points and is widely regarded as the first true “power forward,” elevating both himself and basketball to a new level.