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Player profile · CIN / DET / LAL
Happy Hairston
Happy Hairston stats, teams and career impact
#289 all-timeCareer averages · 14.8 PPG · 10.3 RPG · 1.6 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Power forward
- Final NBA team
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) · 225 lb (102 kg)
- Born
- May 31, 1942
- Died
- May 1, 2001 (58 yrs old)
- College
- NYU
- NBA seasons
- 11 seasons · 1964–65 to 1974–75
Career summaryHappy Hairston was a power forward who played 11 NBA seasons, from 1964–65 through 1974–75.
- Career PPG
- 14.8
- Career RPG
- 10.3
- Career APG
- 1.6
- #25 in 1973–74
- #289 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Happy Hairston ranks #289 all time
Happy Hairston ranks #289 all time. Across his three best seasons, his average league finish was #30.7. His full-career value ranks #450, so this placement is driven more by dominance than longevity.
450+ minutes required per season
776 games · Career Value Rank #450
Head to head
Compare Happy Hairston with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Happy Hairston vs. Gar Heard Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Jerami Grant Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Bobby Portis Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Harvey Grant Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Mario Elie Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Rudy LaRusso Similar career path
- Happy Hairston vs. Don Kojis Same-era comparison
- Happy Hairston vs. Walt Hazzard Same-era comparison
- Happy Hairston vs. Leroy Ellis Same-era comparison
- Happy Hairston vs. Don Nelson Same-era comparison
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Cincinnati Royals, Detroit Pistons, and Los Angeles Lakers
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 47.8%FG%
- Three-point
- —3P%
- Free throw
- 74.1%FT%
776 career games · 24,330 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Happy Hairston stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Box impact is an estimate in points per 100 possessions, not the 0–100 Impact Rate score. Zero is league average; higher is better. Rate rank is a league place: No. 1 is best.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Box impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| pts/100 · higher is better | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | 10.3 | 12.8 | 2.3 | +1.45 | LAL | 74 | 0 | 30.9 | 50.6% | — | 80.1% | #33 | 174.8 |
| 1973–74 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 2.7 | +1.61 | LAL | 77 | 0 | 34.2 | 50.7% | — | 77.1% | #25 | 221.5 |
| 1972–73 | 16.3 | 13.2 | 2.4 | +1.10 | LAL | 28 | 0 | 33.5 | 48.2% | — | 78.7% | #34 | 67.8 |
| 1971–72 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 2.4 | +0.40 | LAL | 80 | 0 | 34.4 | 46.1% | — | 77.9% | #49 | 160.9 |
| 1970–71 | 18.6 | 10.0 | 2.1 | -0.93 | LAL | 80 | 0 | 36.5 | 46.6% | — | 78.2% | #99 | 75.1 |
| 1969–70 | 18.5 | 11.1 | 1.7 | +0.69 | DET/LAL | 70 | 0 | 34.7 | 49.6% | — | 78.9% | #34 | 154.7 |
| 1968–69 | 18.1 | 11.8 | 1.3 | -0.54 | DET | 81 | 0 | 35.7 | 46.9% | — | 73.1% | #69 | 102.5 |
| 1967–68 | 17.9 | 8.3 | 1.3 | -1.19 | CIN/DET | 74 | 0 | 34.0 | 48.7% | — | 69.9% | #76 | 50.0 |
| 1966–67 | 14.9 | 8.0 | 0.8 | -1.64 | CIN | 79 | 0 | 30.9 | 47.9% | — | 66.0% | #69 | 21.6 |
| 1965–66 | 14.1 | 7.6 | 0.6 | -1.32 | CIN | 72 | 0 | 24.9 | 48.9% | — | 68.5% | #60 | 30.5 |
| 1964–65 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 0.4 | -4.50 | CIN | 61 | 0 | 12.1 | 37.3% | — | 66.7% | #88 | -44.4 |
| Career | 14.8 | 10.3 | 1.6 | — | CIN/DET/LAL | 776 | — | 31.4 | 47.8% | — | 74.1% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
What these measures mean
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average, from the historical box-score model. Zero is league average; higher is better. Historical defense estimates are included where labeled. This is not the live model's lineup-adjusted estimate.
- Impact Rate
- A 0–100 score comparing performance within one season. Higher is better. This is a score, not points per possession.
- Impact estimate
- The season model's final estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, before conversion to the 0–100 Impact Rate score. It includes lineup evidence where available. Zero is league average; higher is better.
- Impact Rate rank
- The player's place among qualified players in that season's Impact Rate ranking. No. 1 is best. This is a rank, not an impact score.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
36.6 composite · lower is better
35.0 average league finish
1,015 total value
- Impact Rate
- 0–100 score within one season. Higher is better.
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, from the historical model. Zero is average; higher is better.
Career standing
How Happy Hairston ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score36.6
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 143.0
- Qualified seasons
- 11
- All-time rank
- #289
Strongest seasons
Every season
Happy Hairston advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| pts/100 · higher is better | 0–100 · higher is better | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 32 | 74 | 2,283 | +1.45 | 82.9 | #33 | 174.8 | 85th | Broad |
| 1973–74Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 31 | 77 | 2,634 | +1.61 | 86.4 | #25 | 221.5 | 88th | Broad |
| 1972–73Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 30 | 28 | 939 | +1.10 | 80.8 | #34 | 67.8 | 53rd | Modeled |
| 1971–72Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 29 | 80 | 2,748 | +0.40 | 70.7 | #49 | 160.9 | 73rd | Modeled |
| 1970–71Historical Defense Estimate | LAL | 28 | 80 | 2,921 | -0.93 | 41.3 | #99 | 75.1 | 57th | Modeled |
| 1969–70Historical Defense Estimate | DET/LAL | 27 | 70 | 2,427 | +0.69 | 76.6 | #34 | 154.7 | 74th | Modeled |
| 1968–69Historical Defense Estimate | DET | 26 | 81 | 2,889 | -0.54 | 48.9 | #69 | 102.5 | 62nd | Modeled |
| 1967–68Historical Defense Estimate | CIN/DET | 25 | 74 | 2,517 | -1.19 | 37.5 | #76 | 50.0 | 41st | Modeled |
| 1966–67Historical Defense Estimate | CIN | 24 | 79 | 2,442 | -1.64 | 32.0 | #69 | 21.6 | 41st | Modeled |
| 1965–66Historical Defense Estimate | CIN | 23 | 72 | 1,794 | -1.32 | 36.6 | #60 | 30.5 | 38th | Modeled |
| 1964–65Historical Defense Estimate | CIN | 22 | 61 | 736 | -4.50 | 2.2 | #88 | -44.4 | 6th | Modeled |
Career movement
Happy Hairston's box impact by season
Peak box impact +1.61 points per 100 possessions in 1973–74 · 11 seasons · 24,330 minutes
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Rank labels show Impact Rate league places, not ranks on this chart's box-impact scale.
Box impact · points per 100 possessionsMinutesModeled estimate
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Happy HairstonGar Heard
| NBA season | Happy Hairston | Gar Heard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | -4.5 | -1.7 |
| 2 | -1.3 | -0.8 |
| 3 | -1.6 | 0.3 |
| 4 | -1.2 | 0.6 |
| 5 | -0.5 | -0.4 |
| 6 | 0.7 | -0.0 |
| 7 | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| 8 | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| 9 | 1.1 | -0.4 |
| 10 | 1.6 | -0.6 |
| 11 | 1.5 | 0.4 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Happy Hairston
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
PF · All-Time Career #544
Gar Heard
94career similarity score
90/100 closest-season score · 1973–74 ↔ 1977–78PF · All-Time Career #1154Jerami Grant
93career similarity score
88/100 closest-season score · 1973–74 ↔ 2022–23PF · All-Time Career #1283Bobby Portis
92career similarity score
84/100 closest-season score · 1973–74 ↔ 2025–26Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →