Found this in my email this morning... http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/12/08/houstons-hayes-the-shortest-center-in-nba-history/ pretty interesting and cool for Chuck. Going from one of the Tallest in Yao to the Shortest in the course of mere months...
I didn't realize Hayes' lack of height is at such a historical level. Wow. I was also thinking whether, at any position, a team has had a whole foot of height difference between one year and another or between a starter and a backup (in past years, Chuck has come in for Yao at C at times). Has Boykins ever subbed for, say, JR Smith as a small SG? What about Nate Robinson and maybe one of NY's bigger wings (Jeffries, Chandler, etc.)?
They say he showed signs of being a beast during the annual Rockets offices/Local Media basketball tournament.
After Chuck retires he will be remembered as being 6'4" or smaller. For some reason, people want to make the smaller players even smaller as time goes on. Barkley is routinely mentioned as being 6'4" when he was as much of 6'6" as any other person listed at that height.
Hayes is the MAN. 6'6 with no vertical doing the work of a 7'6 man...with admittedly no vertical as well.
The shorter you are the more amazing the stories are against gargantuan opponents. David VS Goliath is always news worthy.. They are starting to do this with D. Blair now too. I think he was 6'8'' when he came into the league now he has shrunk to 6'5''in the eyes of the broadcasters and journalists "And maybe even shorter than that, Jeff!" Nice read!
Again, Hayes should ditch the NBA and go do basketball camps across the country. Way more money for him in that. I'd probably stop watching the Rockets and opt to watch him teach.
I was listening to Kelly Dwyer (Balls Don't Lie) on the Rockets’ podcast and he was very complimentary of Rockets playing hard, but Chuck in particular. “Every single bit of footwork is perfect, every anticipation is spot on, and all angles are taken care of.”