Spencer Haywood
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| Position | Power forward/Center |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Born | April 22, 1949 Silver City, Mississippi |
| Nationality | USA |
| College | University of Detroit, Trinidad State JC (Colorado) |
| Draft | 2nd round, 1971 Buffalo Braves |
| Pro career | 1971 –1983 |
| Former teams | Denver Rockets (ABA) (1969-1970) (signed as free agent) Seattle Supersonics (1971-1974) New York Knicks (1975-1978) New Orleans Jazz (1979) Los Angeles Lakers (1979-1980) Washington Bullets (1980-1983) Reyer Venezia, Italy (1981-1982) |
| Awards | Gold Medalist, 1968 Olympics, United States Basketball Team |
| Medal record | |||
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Competitor for  United States |
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| Men's Basketball | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 1968 Mexico City | Team Competition | |
Spencer Haywood (born April 22, 1949, in Silver City, Mississippi) is a retired American professional basketball player.
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[edit] High school
In 1964, Haywood moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Pershing High School. In 1967, Haywood led the school to the state championship. [1].
[edit] College and Olympics
Haywood attended Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colorado during the 1967-68 college season, where he averaged 28.2 points and 22.1 rebounds per game. Due to his exceptional performance and talent, Haywood made the USA Olympic Basketball team in 1968. Haywood was the leading scorer on the USA's gold medal winning basketball team during the 1968 Olympics at 16.1 points per game, and he set a USA field goal percentage record of .719 [2][1].
Haywood transferred to the University of Detroit later that year, and led the NCAA in rebounding with a 21.5 average per game while scoring 32.1 points per game during the 1968-69 season. He decided to turn pro after his sophomore year, but National Basketball Association (NBA) rules, which then required a player to wait until his class graduated, prohibited him from entering the league. As a result, he joined the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
[edit] ABA rookie season
Haywood led the ABA in scoring at 30.0 points per game and rebounding at 19.5 rebounds per game. He was named both the ABA Rookie of the Year and ABA MVP in his rookie season (1969-70), and became the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at the age of 21. His 986 field goals made, 1,637 rebounds, and 19.5 rebound per game average are the all-time ABA records for a season.[3] Haywood also won the ABA's All-Star Game MVP that same year with a strong 23 point, 19 rebound, and 7 blocked shot performance for the West team.[4]
[edit] NBA career
In 1970, after forcing his way into the NBA through legal action (in a case, Haywood v. National Basketball Assn., that went all the way to the US Supreme Court), Haywood joined the Seattle SuperSonics. Haywood's court victory was bittersweet, however. During his first season with Seattle, Haywood was booed at several NBA arenas. At one arena, the public-address announcer even went so far as to announce "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an illegal player on the court (referring to Haywood)," during pre-game introductions.
Haywood was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1972 and 1973 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1974 and 1975. Haywood's 29.2 points per game in the 1972-73 season and 13.4 rebounds per game in 1973-74 are still the single-season record averages for the SuperSonics for these categories. Haywood played in four NBA All-Star Games while with Seattle, including a strong 23 point 11 rebound performance in 1974. In the 1974-75 season, he helped lead the SuperSonics to their first playoff berth. Overall, during his five seasons with Seattle, Haywood averaged 24.9 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game.
In 1975, the Supersonics traded him to the New York Knicks where he teamed with Bob McAdoo. Haywood later played for the New Orleans Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Bullets. He earned a championship ring with the Lakers in the 1979-80 season, but didn't play any of their post-season games due to a suspension for illegal drug use. He was previously married to Somali supermodel Iman.
Haywood's #24 jersey was retired by the SuperSonics during a halftime ceremony on February 26, 2007.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Spencer Haywood timeline
- ^ Games of the XIXth Olympiad -- 1968
- ^ (1994) The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia,. Villard Books, pp. 208-209. ISBN 0-679-43293-8.
- ^ (1994) The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia,. Villard Books, p. 240. ISBN 0-679-43293-8.
- ^ Sonics retire No. 24 worn by Haywood, Johnson, Feb. 27, 2007
[edit] External links
- Career statistics
- Spoken Word: Spencer Haywood Interview with Michael Tillery of Blacksportsnetwork.com
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| Preceded by Mel Daniels |
American Basketball Association Most Valuable Player 1970 |
Succeeded by Mel Daniels |
| Preceded by Warren Jabali |
American Basketball Association Rookie of the Year 1970 |
Succeeded by Dan Issel and Charlie Scott |
| Preceded by John Beasley |
American Basketball Association All Star Game Most Valuable Player 1970 |
Succeeded by Mel Daniels |
