Spencer Haywood

American basketball player who challenged NBA eligibility rules and became first player to go directly from high school to professional basketball

Spencer Haywood was born in Silver City, Mississippi in 1949. He grew up in poverty as the eighth of ten children and basketball was his escape route. He attended the University of Detroit for one year — averaging 32 points and 22 rebounds — before entering the ABA, winning the championship with Denver and the MVP award in 1970. When he tried to sign with the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics in 1970, the league tried to block it citing the hardship rule. His case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled 7-2 in his favour in 1971 — opening professional basketball to underclassmen and eventually high school players. Without Haywood v. National Basketball Association, there would have been no Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James or Kevin Durant in the NBA before his 22nd birthday. His NBA career produced four All-Star appearances and two All-NBA First Team selections with Seattle. He won an NBA championship ring as a reserve with the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers. He overcame cocaine addiction in the 1980s and has spoken publicly about his recovery. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. His legal legacy is as significant as his athletic one.

Powerful interior scorer and rebounder with strong physical presence

Changed professional basketball eligibility rules and was a dominant power forward in ABA/NBA

• ABA MVP (1970)
• ABA Champion (1969)
• All-Star 4x
• All-NBA First Team 2x
• Hall of Fame (2015)