Happy Hairston facts for kids
Hairston in 1974
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 1942 Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Died | May 1, 2001 (aged 58) Los Angeles, California |
| High school | Atkins (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | NYU (1961–1964) |
| NBA Draft | 1964 / Round: 4 / Pick: 33rd overall |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Pro career | 1964–1975 |
| Career history | |
| 1964–1968 | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1968–1969 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1969–1975 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 11,505 (14.8 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 8,019 (10.3 rpg) |
| Assists | 1,268 (1.6 apg) |
Harold "Happy" Hairston (born May 31, 1942) was a famous American professional basketball player. He was a tall forward, standing 6 feet 7 inches (200 cm) and weighing 225 pounds (102 kg). Happy is best known for playing with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also played for the Cincinnati Royals and the Detroit Pistons.
Hairston was part of the amazing 1971–72 Lakers team that won the NBA championship. This team set a record by winning 33 games in a row! No other professional sports team in America has done that. Happy Hairston passed away on May 1, 2001.
Contents
Happy's Early Life and College Basketball
Happy Hairston was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He went to Atkins High School in his hometown. After high school, he attended New York University (NYU). He played college basketball there from 1962 to 1964.
At NYU, Happy played for coach Lou Rossini. He was teammates with Barry Kramer. Together, they broke almost all the basketball records for the NYU Violets team. Happy scored an average of 21 points in each game. He also set a new record for the most rebounds at NYU. In total, he scored 1,350 points during his college career. In 1981, Happy Hairston was honored by being added to the NYU Hall of Fame.
Happy's Professional NBA Career
Happy Hairston was chosen by the Cincinnati Royals (who are now the Sacramento Kings) in the 1964 NBA draft. He started his professional career playing for the Cincinnati Royals. Later, he played for the Detroit Pistons. In 1969, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
During the 1971–72 season, Happy Hairston grabbed 1,045 rebounds. His famous teammate, Wilt Chamberlain, had even more, with 1,572 rebounds that season. Happy was a top rebounder for the Lakers. He led the team in both rebounds and field goal percentage during the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons.
On November 15, 1974, Happy set an NBA record. He got 13 defensive rebounds in just one quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers. Over his 11 seasons in the NBA, Happy Hairston averaged 14.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Happy's Life After Basketball
After he stopped playing basketball in 1975, Happy Hairston started a special organization. It was called the Happy Hairston Youth Foundation, located in Century City, California. This foundation helped bright children from difficult family situations. With help from famous people like Kelsey Grammer, the foundation paid for these children to go to college.
Happy also hosted a golf tournament where celebrities played. He even had a small acting role in a TV show! In 1981, he appeared in an episode of Happy Days called "Tall Story." He played the father of a high school basketball player in that episode.
Happy Hairston passed away in Los Angeles in 2001 due to health issues. He was 58 years old. He is remembered by his daughter, Amber, and his three sisters.
Images for kids
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Hairston in 1974
See also
In Spanish: Happy Hairston para niños
