Basketball Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes dies at 87

NBA Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes died Thursday at the age of 87.

NBA Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes died Thursday at the age of 87.

Schayes’s son Danny informed Syracuse.com of his father’s death. Schayes was diagnosed with terminal cancer six months ago.

A Bronx native, the 6'7" Schayes played his entire 16-season career with the Syracuse Nationals. The Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963, Schayes’s final professional season, during which he served as a player-coach.

He scored 18,438 career points with 11,256 rebounds and missed the playoffs just once in his career. Schayes was a 12-time All Star and a member of the NBA’s 50th anniversary team, as well as the Naismith Hall of Fame.

After his playing career, Schayes served as a coach for the Sixers (1963–66) and the Buffalo Braves (1970–72), going 151–172 in five seasons and winning coach of the year in 1966.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement Thursday regarding Schayes’s death.

“Dolph Schayes was one of the most influential figures in NBA history,” Silver wrote. “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. Dolph was an NBA champion, a Hall of Fame player and a distinguished NBA coach and executive, as well as a proud father who relished the success of his four children, including the NBA career of his son Danny. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Schayes family during this difficult time.” 

- Jeremy Woo