American · Silver City, Mississippi · Born 22 April 1949American basketball player who broke barriers by successfully challenging age restrictions to enter professional basketball straight from college
Spencer Haywood was born in Silver City, Mississippi in 1949 and grew up in dire poverty as the eighth of ten children. His University of Detroit season in 1968-69 produced 32 points and 22 rebounds per game before he entered the ABA. He won the ABA championship and MVP with Denver in 1969-70. When he tried to join the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics in 1970 the league blocked it — the hardship rule required players to be four years removed from high school graduation. His case went to the US Supreme Court, which ruled 7-2 in his favour in 1971. The ruling opened professional basketball to underclassmen, eventually enabling Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant to enter the NBA before age 22. His own NBA career produced four All-Star appearances and two All-NBA First Team selections. He won a championship ring with the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers. He overcame cocaine addiction and has spoken publicly about recovery. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
ABA pioneer who challenged age restrictions and won landmark Supreme Court case
How They Played
Dominant power forward with exceptional rebounding and scoring ability
Lasting Impact
Opened professional basketball to underclassmen and revolutionized player rights
Career Honours
- ABA MVP (1970)
- ABA Champion (1969)
- All-NBA First Team 2x
- All-Star 4x
- Hall of Fame (2015)
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Rockets | 1969–1970 | 84 |
| Seattle SuperSonics | 1970–1975 | 315 |
| New York Knicks | 1975–1979 | 299 |
| New Orleans Jazz | 1979–1980 | 76 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 1979–1980 | 28 |
| Washington Bullets | 1981–1983 | 78 |
American Athletes