He is the son of the late Dolph Schayes, who was selected for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

He served as Head Coach of Team USA in basketball at the 2013 Maccabiah Games, which won another gold medal.

[3] After spending two seasons with the Jazz, he played for several different teams, notably with the Denver Nuggets, in which he spent his best years.

Schayes was briefly a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves after signing as a free agent before the start of the 1999–00 season.

[10][11][12] Schayes was part of a promotional campaign put on by the Anti-Defamation League that depicts him slam dunking and says, "If you believe in America, prejudice is foul play!

"[13] While attending Syracuse University, Schayes co-founded the United Students Financial Board, which gathered more than 200 members in its inaugural year.

Since retiring from basketball, Schayes has been an active supporter of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and has spoken at numerous events, including a rally for 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry in Omaha, Nebraska.