Dolph Schayes, a Bronx native, is one of the most prominent basketball players in NBA history. He was at the forefront of professional basketball in the U.S. and achieved legendary status even before the sport became a global spectacle with televised broadcasts and superstars. Read on for more about the life and career of this athlete on i-bronx.com.
Childhood and Youth
Dolph Schayes was born on May 19, 1928, in the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Romania. His father, Karl, worked as a truck driver for a laundry service, and his mother, Tina, was a homemaker. Dolph grew up at the corner of 183rd Street and Davidson Avenue, where he displayed exceptional physical attributes from a young age. By 11, he already stood at 6 feet 5 inches (195 cm).
Schayes took his first steps in basketball on the school courts of the Bronx. He attended Creston Junior High School No. 79, and later the renowned DeWitt Clinton High School, where he became a leader of the basketball team and helped them win a borough championship. His finesse and agility on the court were impressive, even given his significant height.
At 16, Dolph enrolled at New York University (NYU), playing under the legendary coach Howard Cann. In his very first season, he helped the team reach the NCAA tournament finals, held at Madison Square Garden. In the decisive game, NYU lost to Oklahoma A&M, but Schayes’s name was already becoming known nationwide.
Throughout his four seasons at NYU, Schayes was one of the team’s main stars. In his senior year, he averaged 13.7 points per game—an excellent figure for an era when basketball was still a low-scoring game. For these achievements, Dolph was named to the All-American team and received the prestigious Haggerty Award as the best college player in New York City.
Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Schayes earned a higher education, graduating from NYU with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
Success on the Professional Basketball Court
In 1948, Dolph Schayes became a coveted prospect for two competing professional leagues. He was simultaneously drafted by the New York Knicks in the BAA draft and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in the NBL draft. His player rights eventually went to the Syracuse Nationals, who made the most generous offer—$7,500 per year (equivalent to nearly $100,000 today).
Schayes’s debut in the National Basketball League (NBL) was brilliant—he immediately earned Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, after the merger of the BAA and NBL, Schayes and his team moved to the newly formed NBA.
Tall for his time (6 feet 8 inches, or 203 cm), Schayes stood out not only for his size but also for his technique. His signature arc shot had such a high trajectory that teammates jokingly called it “The Satellite.” And when opponents rushed to block his long-range attacks, he confidently drove to the basket. This dual threat made Dolph Schayes a defensive nightmare for many years.
An interesting incident occurred early in his basketball career. A broken right arm forced him to learn to shoot with his left hand. This ultimately gave him even greater versatility and made him one of the most unpredictable players in the league.
“People remember Dolph’s long shots,” recalled Al Bianchi, a former teammate. “But what made him great was that he could shoot off the dribble with either hand. His left was just as good as his right.”
Schayes remained loyal to the classic two-handed set shot, even as most players were already mastering jump shots.
Throughout the 1950s, Schayes became a true pillar of the NBA. He led the league in rebounds in 1951 and in minutes played, free throws, and points in various seasons. In 1955, he led the Syracuse Nationals to their long-awaited championship title, and in 1957, he set an NBA record with 18 consecutive made free throws in a single game.
His statistics are impressive: in the 1957-1958 season, Dolph averaged 24.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. That same year, he finished second in MVP voting. In 1959, Schayes set a personal record, scoring 50 points in a game against the Boston Celtics.
Coaching and Post-Playing Career
In 1963, when the Syracuse Nationals team moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia 76ers, Dolph Schayes took on a new role: player-coach. Although his playing career was effectively winding down (he appeared in only 24 games that season and did not play in the playoffs), Schayes remained head coach for another three years.
His greatest coaching success came in the 1965-1966 season when he led Philadelphia to first place in the Eastern Division, breaking the Boston Celtics’ nine-year dominance in the regular season. For this, he was recognized as NBA Coach of the Year. However, in the playoffs, the Celtics got their revenge, winning the division finals, and after the loss, Schayes was fired. He was replaced by Alex Hannum, who led the team to a championship title the very next year with a then-record-setting performance.
After his coaching career in Philadelphia, Schayes took charge of the NBA’s officiating department, serving as the league’s chief of officiating from 1966 to 1970. That same year, he returned to coaching ranks, becoming the first head coach of the newly formed franchise, the Buffalo Braves. However, he didn’t stay long, being fired early in his second season after a humiliating 123-90 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics.
Beyond professional sports, Schayes also had a significant impact on international basketball. In 1977, he coached the U.S. men’s national team at the Maccabiah Games in Israel—a sort of Jewish Olympic Games. Under his leadership, the team unexpectedly won a gold medal. Sixteen years later, in 1993, he returned to Israel, this time as coach of the U.S. Masters team.
Achievements and Recognition
Dolph Schayes was one of the first true NBA superstars. For 16 seasons, he was a leader and inspiration for the Syracuse Nationals. The NBA Encyclopedia referred to this athlete as a “bridge between the old and new eras of basketball”: a player with classic techniques who, nonetheless, adapted wonderfully to the game’s new dynamics.
Dolph Schayes was the first player in NBA history to cross the 15,000-point mark. He ended his career with 19,249 points—a record at the time. Schayes was selected to the All-Star Game 12 consecutive times, playing 706 consecutive games without a single absence—a phenomenal streak that lasted almost a decade (1952-1961).
Schayes was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1973. His name is also enshrined in the U.S. Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and he was included in the symbolic NBA teams for the league’s 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversaries.
In 2015, 70 years after his professional debut, Schayes was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. At the ceremony, he confessed:
“Growing up in the Bronx had a tremendous impact on my life and made me who I am. This borough is very special to me; I am very grateful for Borough President Diaz’s recognition.”
By the time he retired in 1964, Dolph Schayes held NBA records for the most games played (996), free throws made (6,712), and personal fouls (3,432). His influence on the game was so significant that even after he stopped playing, he remained a living basketball legend.
A Large Family and a Long Life
In 1948, Dolph Schayes settled in Syracuse, where he spent most of his playing career. After retiring from the NBA, he continued to live in the city and entered the construction business. His life remained closely connected to basketball—not only through his own legacy but also through his son’s path.
Dolph’s son, Danny Schayes, followed in his father’s footsteps: he played for Jamesville-DeWitt High School, then for Syracuse University, and later spent 18 seasons in the NBA as a center.
He was known as a hardworking and skilled player who remained in the professional arena for a long time.
The family’s athletic spirit continued into the next generation. Three of Schayes’s grandchildren—Abi, Carla, and Rachel Hatch—represented the U.S. on the volleyball team at the 2001 Maccabiah Games and won silver medals. His grandson, Mickey Ferry, won gold in the 4×100-meter relay at the 2005 Maccabiah Games. Thus, the Schayes family left a notable mark not only in basketball but also in the broader world of sports.
Dolph Schayes passed away on December 10, 2015, at the age of 87 in Syracuse. The cause of death was cancer. He is survived by his large and loving family: his wife Naomi, sons Danny and David, daughters Carrie Hatch and Debra Ferry, and nine grandchildren.
His name still lives on in basketball history—as a symbol of the era that shaped the game.