Legends of Basketball Official Website

Danny Schayes

First Vice President

Daniel L. Schayes, selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1981 Draft, enjoyed an 18-year playing career in the NBA before retiring in 1999. During that time, he played in over 1,200 games and ranks in the Top 10 in NBA history for seasons played. He most notably spent time with the Denver Nuggets, as well as with the Jazz, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns.

As the son of one of the NBA’s Top 50 players, Dolph Schayes, Schayes has been involved in the NBA his entire life. He served as a team player representative for the league’s Players Association for several years and was one of the key negotiators and creators of the Collective Bargaining Agreement of 1998. Schayes helped to end the lockout and was looked to as one of the central figures in the negotiation that took place that year.

Following a successful playing career, the Syracuse, NY, native began working in broadcast for ESPN, TNT, as well as two years as the color analyst for the Seattle Supersonics. Schayes also hosted his own radio show for four years and was a radio color analyst for the Denver Nuggets for 20 games while recuperating from ankle surgery. In addition, Schayes is an accomplished public speaker, as both a keynote and event host.

During and after his playing career, Schayes studied finance with a focus on income generation. He currently is a founder and partner in Golden Lion Partners, which specializes in creating safe, tax advantaged income vehicles with an emphasis and focus on income generation for non-profit entities. Previously, he was the founder and CEO of two different real estate investing and development companies for over 10 years and also ran his own business development company for over 10 years.

Schayes graduated with honors from Syracuse University with a B.A. in chemistry. He was an Academic All-American, named All-Big East First Team, awarded several post-graduate academic scholarships and still holds the Carrier Dome record for rebounds in a game, with 23. Schayes was named to the Syracuse University All-Century Basketball team and the Syracuse Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Jamesville-Dewitt High School Athletic Hall and honored by the school in 1989 when the school retired his uniform number.

His wife, Wendy, was an Olympic athlete and competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics in Springboard Diving. They have one son, Logan.