Two Paths to Greatness: Elvin Hayes and By Katherine Lopez he City of Houston had a humble of athletic glory and personal fulfi llment. attention to it. These are their stories. Tbeginning as the Allen brothers, two These individuals, although numeri- Elvin Hayes was born in the small entrepreneurs willing to pedal land, began cally small in comparison to the overall Louisiana town of Rayville in 1945. It, like selling plots near the Texas coast that many number of immigrants entering the city, most other Jim Crow cities of the time, considered worthless in 1836. Although have disproportionately contributed to presented few opportunities for its non- it initially struggled, bountiful opportu- Houston’s growth for they became publi- white residents and little hope of escape. nities—such as the building of the Port cized representations of the success to be Despite that, Hayes was determined to of Houston, the explosion of the space acquired within the city. While numerous fi nd a “better life out there beyond Rayville industry, and the liberal concentration of transplanted athletes have graced the courts and north Louisiana” and would “fi nd 1 natural oil and gas reserves—presented and fi elds over the last century and history some kind of vehicle” to take him away. individuals with the potential for personal could highlight several of them who trans- His journey out began when, in the eighth and fi nancial advancement and soon formed into proponents of Houston, two grade, Hayes picked up a basketball and Houston was transformed from a small individuals in particular jump out from the began developing the skills that would lift frontier town into a thriving metropolis. masses. Elvin Hayes, a native of Louisiana, him out of Louisiana and out of obscurity. While these well-recognized factors and Hakeem Olajuwon, a native of Nigeria, Although he was not cognizant of the undoubtedly sparked a massive upsurge in both traveled to the city in pursuit of fact that “basketball was going to be the the city’s population, another more low-key basketball stardom. Although born over vehicle,” Hayes physically applied himself factor quietly drew in new faces and under- twenty years apart, these two men, fi rst at and soon was blazing trails during his 2 pinned its foundation. Sports programs, the University of Houston and later in the high school years. In doing so, he drew both on the amateur and professional levels, NBA, embraced the city which welcomed the attention of segregated colleges across have enticed athletes to the area with the them and their athleticism and, throughout the nation. While Louisiana’s star had his promise of athletic glory since the late 19th the past decades, have brought positive choice of universities, Hayes ultimately century. The Red Stockings, a minor league decided, primarily because of the promise baseball team, settled in Houston in 1888 of an excellent education close to home, to and although the team folded quickly after become one of the fi rst two black athletes its inception, the athletic tradition it estab- to integrate the University of Houston lished did not. From that point forward, basketball program under the direction of Houston has supported a continuous Guy V. Lewis.3 His decision was buttressed stream of athletic franchises ranging from by his mother’s positive opinion of the baseball’s Colt .45’s and Astros to the program. Hayes believed the Houston American Basketball Association’s Houston coaches most effectively persuaded his Mavericks and National Basketball mother, recalling, “Coach Harvey Pate [the Association’s Houston Rockets, to the assistant to Coach Lewis] didn’t recruit the National Football League’s Houston Oilers players. He recruited your parents or your and their successor, the Texans. In addi- mother and he recruited my mother and tion to professional athletics, the my mother said ‘you’re going out there two major Houston universities, with Coach Pate’ and that was it. When the University of Houston and Rice your mother tells you something, that’s University, have fi elded teams since what you’re going to do. It really wasn’t 1946 and 1914 respectively. Through up to me.”4 In obeying his mother’s these various programs, professional instructions, Hayes instantaneously and amateur athletes alike have realized “basketball was to be [his] fl ocked to Houston to pursue dreams savior as well as [his] ticket out of Rayville.”5 This was the moment he All photographs courtesy University of had been waiting for and sensed his Houston Athletic Department. life would quickly change. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Katherine Lopez completed her master’s Don Chaney (right) and Elvin Hayes degree in History at the University (left) were the fi rst African-American athletes to play basketball for the of Houston in 2004 and is currently University of Houston. Their coach, working toward her PhD. Her Guy V. Lewis, actively recruited them research focuses on the desegrega- and helped create an environment in tion of the University of Houston which they could prosper. athletic program. page 44 The Houston Review...Volume 3, Number 1 d Hakeem Olajuwon Come to Houston Immediately following his high school and night and a lot of those things I never “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” which graduation in 1963, Hayes set out for his saw here.”11 Furthermore, Hayes found was large enough to handle an incredible new home of Houston. His initial reactions the University willing to support its newest number of spectators, demonstrated to all to the city were less than positive. His small recruits in whatever manner possible. “The who watched that Houston was indeed an town upbringing left him feeling vulner- school’s offi cials,” he remembered, “were advanced city capable of leading the way able in such an expansive city. “It was a always cooperative, much more than you into the future of sports. Many in the sports very scary place because I had never seen would have expected at that time in a world, including Hayes, still point to that anything this big or been around this many Southern city. I think the University kind of one game as the start of modern basketball. people in one place at one time. So, for a created [an] environment for us to try and It demonstrated that gathering massive kid coming from an AA school, it was just a make our adjustments.”12 crowds in huge, often multi-purpose, sports massive, very scary experience for me.”6 Yet, Hayes admits that despite the stadiums was feasible and highlighted the His trepidation was strong enough relatively discrimination-free environ- existence of a national basketball market.15 to drive the young Hayes back home on ment at school, he had to overcome the That victory would be the grandest several occasions. “The fi rst time they personal prejudices ingrained in him from moment of the Hayes-led squads. Despite brought me over,” he recalled, “the next his youth. “Because I was in a totally black compiling an 81-12 record and three day I was back over in Louisiana and they environment, and I’d never been around straight NCAA Tournament appearances would come back and get me and I was white people that much, I always kind of over as many seasons, the Cougars never gone again.”7 After a few such retreats shied away from [whites] and stayed in won the NCAA tournament, which had across the Texas border, Hayes’ mother sent an environment where I was very much long determined the best collegiate team her oldest son Arthur to Houston alongside comfortable. I think that was one of the in the nation. Even so, Hayes’ athletic his younger brother with the command that biggest things for me to try and adjust to, dedication, visible by his 31.1 points /17.2 Elvin was to remain in Texas for good. Her being in a mixed environment, and I had a rebounds per game average, confi rmed to tactic worked. The younger Hayes eventu- lot of problems with that because I brought sports fans and casual observers alike that ally acclimated to his new surroundings and a lot of baggage with me. A lot of the things Houston and its university were ready to realized that “the Houston people offered and experiences which I’d had in Louisiana, assume a position of prominence and were [him] an education and a watchful eye.”8 I kind of brought those experiences with capable of transforming young individuals With the start of the fall semester, and the me over here . and it was something that into premier athletes ready to take on the return of the rest of the squad including I really was not that comfortable with.”13 world. Because of that, Hayes “fell in love fellow black recruit Don Chaney, Hayes felt The passing of time and the development with the school and the city of Houston comfortable enough to release his brother of interracial friendships, however, allowed both” and he never regretted his tenure at from his companion duties.9 Soon, he was Hayes to shed his preconceived notions of UH saying, “I think the best thing that in the throws of preparation for the season race relations and fully integrate into the happened to me and the best decision that and fell into a comfortable routine. program.14 could have been made for me was made by While Hayes eventually made the tran- With the major issues of prejudice my mother to get me to go the University sition to university life, dealing with the city under control and his homesickness dimin- of Houston and for me to go there and for itself still presented a problem.