The Greatest NBL Players at Every Age
April 11, 2021
Butch Hays
- Nationality: USA/AUS
- Date of Birth: 16/09/62
- Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 195
- Weight (KG): 80
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: California (1980–1984)
- NBL DEBUT: 12/04/91
- AGE AT DEBUT: 28
- LAST NBL GAME: 29/01/03
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 40
- NBL History: Adelaide 1991-92 | Illawarra 1993-94 | Newcastle 1995-97, 1999 | North Melbourne 1998 | Canberra 2003
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Born in Los Angeles, Hays grew up in South Central L.A. on West 57th Street in a area known for its street gangs and where he was located was directly between two of the gangs, the Bloods and Crips. As a youth he played athletics, American football and baseball, but was introduced to basketball by a neighbour when he was 12 years old, but it wasn’t until he was in high school that he started receiving some coaching.
Until high school, Hays and his friends would play street pick up games. “Several times we’d be playing pick up ball and if somebody didn’t like a call that’s made or they didn’t like losing, they would pull out a gun. We would all scatter and jump over fences and under cars. But the street ball made you tough and made you play every shot. If you are playing pick up ball and you lose you may not get on the court again that day or it might take two or three hours before your turn comes up. So it was all about making the best of a moment and if your team was on the court you are playing to win.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Butch Hays made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers at 28 years of age. He scored 36 points in his first game.
Despite Adelaide having their worst season ever in 1990, head coach Don Shipway was able to avoid being fired and looked to rebuild around the squad’s young talent. He began with replacing 37-year-old club legend Al Green with 29 year old, former NBA player Butch Hays as the team’s import point guard, signing him to a two year deal. The 36ers also added 19-year-old Adelaide product Brett Wheeler, who at 208 cm provided the extra size the team needed to support Bradtke.
Butch Hays (24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists) and Mark Davis (23.0 points and 14.7 rebounds) would lead the team, returning the 36ers to the playoffs. Finishing in fourth place (16-10) during the regular season, Adelaide faced off against Melbourne in the elimination finals. Adelaide would defeat Melbourne (2-0) to reach the semi finals only to then be eliminated by the defending and eventual champions Perth (0-2).
1992
Adelaide had played at the Apollo Stadium since the team’s inception in 1982, but by the early 1990s, ticket demand was far too great to remain there, and the team moved into the 8,000 seat Clipsal Powerhouse prior to the 1992 season. During the off-season, the team was able to retain import point guard Butch Hays and captain Mark Davis but saw local favourite and former captain Darryl Pearce sign with the North Melbourne Giants.
The venue quickly became a fortress for the 36ers, with every game played in front of a sell-out crowd. The increased fan support saw Adelaide open the year with a 106-84 victory over the North Melbourne Giants. After this initial success, however, the team failed to win again across their next seven games, including losses to perennial easy beats like Hobart and Newcastle.
The 36ers would then face a major hurdle after the league’s mid-season break to accommodate the Barcelona Olympics. After the Boomers finished the tournament in fourth place, Bradtke returned with the announcement that he had accepted a lucrative deal (reportedly worth $200,000) to finish the season playing for Spanish team Juver Murcia. In his 17 games prior to the break, Bradtke had clearly become the best local big man in the competition. In his last game wearing a 36ers jersey, he scored a career-high 43 points, grabbed 25 boards against Geelong at home and averaged 20.1 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the season.
The 36ers, although never looking like a playoff team, were never able to fill the gap left by Bradtke and limped home to a 11-13 record, finishing in the ninth spot.
Davis (23.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks) again led the team with his spectacular all-around game, with Hays also contributing 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game.
Despite the disappointing season, two positives came from this season. The first was the rookie debuts of local teenagers Brett Maher (2.2 points in 8 minutes per game), who went on to play a record 525 games for the 36ers, and 18-year-old Paul Rogers, who appeared in five games but later became a big part of the 36ers and the Australian national team. Mark Davis also played his last season as a import, obtaining his Australian citizenship this year and qualifying as a local player until his retirement.
ILLAWARRA HAWKS
1993
The 1993 season saw Hays average 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists and play a key role in helping the Hawks to a sixth place finish in the regular season with a 15-11 record.
1994
During the 1994 season, Hays averaged 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists and helped the Hawks finish the regular season in a tenth place (13-13).
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1993
During the 1995 season, Hays averaged 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists and was a part of the Falcons squad which finished in eighth place with a record of 17-9.
1996
In 1996, Hays averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, and 6 assists, and helped guide the Falcons to a ninth place finish in the regular season (11-15).
1997
In 1997, Hays averaged 17.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists, as the Falcons finished in tenth place (12-18).
NORTH MELBOURNE GIANTS
1998
After being eliminated by Melbourne in the 1997 semifinals, North Melbourne moved into what became its final Giants season with the club’s financial pressure still growing. Mike Mitchell, Paul Rees (to Adelaide), Rod Johnson (to Canberra), Stephen Hoare (to West Sydney) and Matthew Reece all exited the team, while Brett Brown retained Darryl McDonald, Pat Reidy, David Stiff, Andrew Goodwin and Matthew Shanahan. Paul Maley also returned after missing the previous season with a back injury, with Ben Pepper (via Newcastle), David Close (via Canberra), rookie David Smith (via AIS) and new import Darnell Hoskins added to round out the roster.
North Melbourne opened the season at Beaton Park on January 30 without its star import, losing to Wollongong 109-96 as Reidy (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Hoskins (15 points) led the Giants in the loss.
With the Giants’ star import sidelined for the opening 13 games, Brown added Nate Driggers to cover the backcourt while the team tried to stay afloat. Driggers (6 points and 3.3 rebounds) played seven games before being released, while Hoskins (17 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals) briefly settled the import spot when Hoskins (40 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Reidy (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists) led North Melbourne to a 97-91 win over Sydney on March 14. Hoskins played his final game on March 29 and was released soon after, with Brown bringing NBL legend Butch Hays out of retirement before McDonald (12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals) returned.
Hays (8.9 points and 3.4 assists) made his Giants debut in Townsville on April 3, finishing with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal as North Melbourne lost 98-91 to the Crocodiles despite Pepper (20 points and 8 rebounds) and Goodwin (17 points and 6 rebounds) leading the Giants.
Hays’ best game came the next night against Adelaide, where Hays (17 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) helped North Melbourne defeat the 36ers 115-99, with Reidy (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists) and Maley (19 points and 4 rebounds) leading the way as the Giants collected only their fourth win of the season.
Hays (13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists) added another strong game at the Perth Entertainment Centre on April 26 as North Melbourne pushed the Wildcats to the final possession before falling 103-102, with Reidy (29 points and 6 rebounds) and Stiff (19 points and 10 rebounds) having big games in the loss.
Reidy (17.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) led North Melbourne in scoring, while Pepper (13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds) gave the Giants a new interior focal point after arriving from Newcastle. Maley (12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds) returned from injury and became one of the team’s steadier scorers, while Stiff (11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), Goodwin (10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds) and Smith (7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals), who earned Rookie of the Year, were the other key contributors.
Hays’ final game came in Brisbane on May 16, where Hays (5 points and 2 assists) played 24:49 minutes as North Melbourne lost 115-103 to the Bullets, with McDonald (14 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) and Goodwin (21 points and 6 rebounds) leading the Giants. North Melbourne finished 10th with a 9-21 record, including only one road win, before merging with South East Melbourne at the end of the season after several years of financial instability. The new club was launched as the Victoria Titans, with McDonald, Pepper, Smith and Maley being retained.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS
1998/99
Entering the 1998/99 season, the Falcons were in dire financial trouble, but on the brink of the season starting, they secured funds from a group of investors from Albury. As a result, the Falcons were able to retain local talent Ben Melmeth, Terry Johnson and import Todd Mundt but were forced to build the rest of the team on a shoestring budget. Somewhat luckily, Newcastle benefitted from the merger of South East Melbourne and North Melbourne, which saw Pat Reidy and import Butch Hays both former Giants players, without a team. With few NBL team’s having any space on their rosters at this stage, the Falcons were able to sign both at budget prices. Dean Brogan (via Adelaide), Rod Johnson (via Canberra) and legendary shot blocker Willie Simmons was lured out of retirement to play another season.
While obvious favourites to finish on the bottom of the ladder, the Falcons surprised everyone by winning five of their first six games.
Shortly after, reports of players not being paid their salaries surfaced, and the focus, motivation and production among the players began to wane. Mundt exited the team as a result of not getting paid on time and was replaced with Simmons (14.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals) who after a season playing with Sydney was sitting at home after being unable to find another new deal.
The remainder of the season then saw Newcastle record three wins from their next nineteen games before finally beating Perth (113–111) in their final game of the year.
Pat Reidy (17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals) led the team in scoring, Ben Melmeth (17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals) led the team in rebounds while Terry Johnson (14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals) delivered his best season at the point guard position and his brother Rod Johnson (11.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) rounded out the team’s leading scorers.
After narrowly surviving the season before, this would prove to be the death knell for Newcastle, with the league stepping in to address their financial situation and its result being the removal of their NBL licence and the Falcons being forced out of the league.
CANBERRA CANNONS
2002/03
After Canberra entered voluntary administration and lost several players, 41-year-old Butch Hays returned to the NBL to help the Cannons field a team during their compressed schedule.
He made his first appearance against Perth on January 18, scoring 5 points and grabbing 2 rebounds in 15:10 minutes during a 119-97 loss. Hays (0 points and 3 assists) played 11:31 minutes in Canberra’s 108-80 loss to Sydney.
Hays (2.0 points across 4 games) provided Canberra with an experienced guard for a few small cameos as the financially troubled club attempted to complete the season.
The Cannons went 4-17 after their 7-2 start, finishing ninth with an 11-19 record before the licence was sold to a Newcastle-based ownership group and relocated as the Hunter Pirates.
Butch Hays played ten seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Adelaide 36ers, North Melbourne Giants, Newcastle Falcons, Illawarra Hawks and Canberra Cannons. He averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 232 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 23rd in total assists
– 26th in assists per game.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 40 | Canberra | 11-19 (9) | 4 | 46.0 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 25% | 1 | 5 | 20% | 3 | 5 | 60% | 39% | 0% | 5 |
| 1998-99 | 36 | Newcastle | 9-17 (9) | 25 | 721.0 | 271 | 57 | 82 | 15 | 42 | 17 | 5 | 40 | 75 | 96 | 209 | 46% | 29 | 86 | 34% | 50 | 66 | 76% | 56% | 53% | 26 |
| 1998 | 35 | North Melbourne | 9-21 (11) | 8 | 297.0 | 71 | 23 | 27 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 34 | 27 | 58 | 47% | 6 | 21 | 29% | 11 | 16 | 69% | 54% | 52% | 17 |
| 1997 | 35 | Newcastle | 12-18 (10) | 30 | 1,288.0 | 534 | 126 | 154 | 37 | 89 | 42 | 3 | 89 | 123 | 191 | 404 | 47% | 45 | 123 | 37% | 107 | 137 | 78% | 57% | 53% | 35 |
| 1996 | 34 | Newcastle | 11-15 (9) | 26 | 1,172.0 | 486 | 144 | 156 | 46 | 98 | 34 | 8 | 79 | 98 | 162 | 355 | 46% | 37 | 97 | 38% | 125 | 149 | 84% | 57% | 51% | 30 |
| 1995 | 33 | Newcastle | 17-9 (8) | 29 | 1,297.0 | 587 | 163 | 205 | 41 | 122 | 43 | 15 | 88 | 111 | 199 | 422 | 47% | 49 | 116 | 42% | 140 | 180 | 78% | 58% | 53% | 32 |
| 1994 | 32 | Illawarra | 13-13 (10) | 28 | 1,279.0 | 589 | 149 | 150 | 46 | 103 | 58 | 5 | 86 | 98 | 217 | 418 | 52% | 31 | 68 | 46% | 124 | 161 | 77% | 60% | 56% | 37 |
| 1993 | 31 | Illawarra | 15-11 (6) | 28 | 1,281.0 | 511 | 126 | 173 | 36 | 90 | 63 | 1 | 90 | 74 | 187 | 387 | 48% | 17 | 55 | 31% | 120 | 155 | 77% | 55% | 51% | 28 |
| 1992 | 30 | Adelaide | 11-13 (9) | 24 | 993.0 | 519 | 110 | 159 | 37 | 73 | 52 | 11 | 86 | 95 | 196 | 387 | 51% | 18 | 43 | 42% | 109 | 141 | 77% | 57% | 53% | 40 |
| 1991 | 29 | Adelaide | 16-10 (4) | 30 | 1,271.0 | 737 | 135 | 271 | 38 | 97 | 59 | 9 | 100 | 117 | 245 | 452 | 54% | 27 | 49 | 55% | 220 | 268 | 82% | 64% | 57% | 42 | Totals | 232 | 9645 | 4313 | 1037 | 1384 | 304 | 733 | 378 | 58 | 682 | 830 | 1522 | 3100 | 49.1% | 260 | 663 | 39.2% | 1009 | 1278 | 79.0% | 59% | 53% | 42 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-03 | 40 | Canberra | 11-19 (9) | 4 | 11.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 25% | 0.3 | 1.3 | 20% | 0.8 | 1.3 | 60% | 39% | 0% | 5 |
| 1998-99 | 36 | Newcastle | 9-17 (9) | 25 | 28.8 | 10.8 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 8.4 | 46% | 1.2 | 3.4 | 34% | 2.0 | 2.6 | 76% | 56% | 53% | 26 |
| 1998 | 35 | North Melbourne | 9-21 (11) | 8 | 37.1 | 8.9 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 7.3 | 47% | 0.8 | 2.6 | 29% | 1.4 | 2.0 | 69% | 54% | 52% | 17 |
| 1997 | 35 | Newcastle | 12-18 (10) | 30 | 42.9 | 17.8 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 6.4 | 13.5 | 47% | 1.5 | 4.1 | 37% | 3.6 | 4.6 | 78% | 57% | 53% | 35 |
| 1996 | 34 | Newcastle | 11-15 (9) | 26 | 45.1 | 18.7 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 13.7 | 46% | 1.4 | 3.7 | 38% | 4.8 | 5.7 | 84% | 57% | 51% | 30 |
| 1995 | 33 | Newcastle | 17-9 (8) | 29 | 44.7 | 20.2 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 6.9 | 14.6 | 47% | 1.7 | 4.0 | 42% | 4.8 | 6.2 | 78% | 58% | 53% | 32 |
| 1994 | 32 | Illawarra | 13-13 (10) | 28 | 45.7 | 21.0 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 7.8 | 14.9 | 52% | 1.1 | 2.4 | 46% | 4.4 | 5.8 | 77% | 60% | 56% | 37 |
| 1993 | 31 | Illawarra | 15-11 (6) | 28 | 45.8 | 18.3 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 6.7 | 13.8 | 48% | 0.6 | 2.0 | 31% | 4.3 | 5.5 | 77% | 55% | 51% | 28 |
| 1992 | 30 | Adelaide | 11-13 (9) | 24 | 41.4 | 21.6 | 4.6 | 6.6 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 16.1 | 51% | 0.8 | 1.8 | 42% | 4.5 | 5.9 | 77% | 57% | 53% | 40 |
| 1991 | 29 | Adelaide | 16-10 (4) | 30 | 42.4 | 24.6 | 4.5 | 9.0 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 8.2 | 15.1 | 54% | 0.9 | 1.6 | 55% | 7.3 | 8.9 | 82% | 64% | 57% | 42 | Total | 232 | 41.6 | 18.6 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 13.4 | 49.1% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 39.2% | 1.1 | 2.9 | 79.0% | 59% | 53% | 42 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 42 | 11 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Sturt (1991–1992), Illawarra (1993), Maitland (2005–2012, 2014–2015)
Hays joined Sturt for the 1991 season and remained with the club in 1992.
He played for Illawarra during the 1993 season.
Hays joined the Maitland Mustangs for the 2005 Waratah ABL season. In one game that year, he played 40:10 minutes and scored 28 points.
He remained with Maitland through 2012. The Mustangs reached the 2010 Waratah League grand final, where they finished runners-up after a 65–60 loss to Manly Warringah. Hays retired at 50 years of age in 2012.
Hays returned to Maitland in 2014 and played another season with the Mustangs in 2015.
NBA EXPERIENCE
Butch Hays was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with pick #141 in the 1984 NBA Draft.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- England - Birmingham Bullets (1985–1987) | France - Dijon (1987–1988) | Scotland - Glasgow Rangers (1988–1989)
Hays began his overseas career in England with the Birmingham Bullets from 1985 to 1987, and he featured in the club’s trophy success when Birmingham won the British Masters Cup final on April 9, 1986, as he scored 26 points in an 87–83 win over Murray International Metals Edinburgh in Gateshead.
He moved to France for the 1987–88 season with Dijon, where he played 28 games and led the team in both scoring (22.9 points per game) and assists (4.3 per game), alongside 3.1 rebounds per game. In a documented league game against Nice on December 19, 1987, he logged 35 minutes and produced 20 points and 10 assists with three rebounds.
In 1988–89, Hays joined Glasgow Rangers in Scotland for the British Basketball League season that saw Rangers win both the BBL Championship and the Playoffs, finishing the regular season 18–2. He was named to the league’s All-Star Team that season, and in the playoff final on April 16, 1989, he scored 27 points in Glasgow’s 89–86 win over MIM Livingston.
COLLEGE
Butch Hays attended California from 1980–81 through 1983–84 under head coach Dick Kuchen, beginning his Golden Bears career in the 1980–81 season and remaining with the program through his senior year.
As a freshman in 1980–81, Hays was part of a California team that finished 13–14 overall and 5–13 in Pac-10 play, with notable results including wins over Stanford (58–56), Arizona State at home (73–71 in overtime), USC (73–72 in overtime), and Oregon (85–77), along with a two-overtime loss to Arizona State (84–81), and he finished the season leading Cal in assists (83, 3.1 per game) and steals (42, 1.6 per game) across 27 games.
In 1981–82, Hays moved into the starting backcourt and was listed among California’s primary starters as the Bears went 14–13 overall and 8–10 in the Pac-10, with Hays averaging 10.2 points per game and being recognized as Cal’s Most Inspirational Player that season, while again leading the team in assists (119, 4.4 per game) and steals (43, 1.6 per game) across 27 games, and across his Cal career he led the Bears in assists in each of his four seasons and led the team in steals three different seasons.
California again finished 14–14 overall in 1982–83 (7–11 in the Pac-10), with Hays again a primary starter while averaging 10.5 points per game, and the season included a 76–71 win over Duke on December 4, 1982, a 106–62 win over UC Davis, and an 84–59 win at Arizona, while Hays received Cal’s Most Inspirational Player award for the second time (1983) and led the Bears in assists (125, 4.5 per game) and steals (50, 1.8 per game) across 28 games.
As a senior in 1983–84, Hays served as team captain and was a primary starter on a California team that finished 12–16 overall and 5–13 in the Pac-10, while he averaged 12.6 points per game and was named Cal’s 1984 team MVP, and the year included an overtime win at Santa Clara (60–52), an overtime win over Washington State (68–63), a win over Arizona (70–62), and an overtime loss at Oregon State (64–60), while he again led Cal in assists with 69 (2.5 per game) across 28 games and logged 38.2 minutes per game, one of the top single-season marks in program history.
By the end of his California (1980–1984) career, Hays had scored 1,145 points (24th in school history) and ranked second in steals and fifth in assists in the Cal record book, while also graduating as the program’s all-time assists leader at the time before that mark was later surpassed by former teammate Kevin Johnson and later Jason Kidd.
AWARDS
- 3x All-NBL Second Team
- 3x All-NBL Third Team
- 1x NBL Assists Leader
- Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year (1984)
Related
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