A 6-foot-8 All-American at New York University, Schayes was an agile athlete with excellent finesse around the basket. From 1944 to 1948, he popularized the city game while starring under Hall of Fame coach Howard Cann at NYU. He then became one of the NBA's most durable and hard-working athletes and a 12-time NBA All-Star. Schayes practiced his free-throw shooting with a 14-inch diameter hoop, which he fit inside a regulation 18-inch hoop. This tactic helped him lead the NBA in free-throw shooting three times. In a 16-year career, Schayes led his team into the playoffs 15 times. Upon his retirement in 1964, he had played in 1,059 games, more than any other player in NBA history. With 19,249 points, he was the NBA's all-time leading scorer at that time.