Clutch Points: “When I got with the Lakers, I went to one of those Hollywood parties, and everybody in there was doing this new thing. … I hit that pipe and I watched my life, my merits, my career just melt down to nothing.” Spencer Haywood sheds light from a troubled chapter of his life 🗣 pic.twitter.com/Uephr3jiTr
Spencer Haywood Rumors
Marianne Stanley, presented byCathy Rush (‘08), Lisa Leslie (‘15), Nancy Lieberman (‘96) Hugh Evans, presented by Reggie Miller (‘12), George Gervin (‘96) Theresa Shank-Grentz, presented by Cathy Rush (‘08), Charles Barkley (’06), Vivian Stringer (‘09) Del Harris, presented by Nancy Lieberman (‘96), John Calipari (‘15), Sidney Moncrief (‘19) Lou Hudson, presented by Spencer Haywood (‘15), Jamaal Wilkes (‘12) Larry Costello, presented by Billy Cunningham (‘86), Wayne Embry (‘99), Bob Dandridge (’21) Radivoj Korac, presented by Spencer Haywood (‘15)
Spencer Haywood has transformed the NBA in more ways than one. Now, he’s looking to be a game-changer right here in Las Vegas. “Before I came along, the NBA didn’t allow players to leave high school, college or anything you had to stay for four years after your high school class or graduated,” Haywood said. “So I sued the NBA for the rights to play.” Five decades later, the impact of Haywood is clear every time you look on an NBA court. “In that Supreme Court ruling, I won seven to two,” Haywood said.
Spencer Haywood: “I also created somewhat of $33 billion in player revenue. You know, that’s what I fought for it. So, I didn’t know it was going to be this big. I didn’t know the revenue was going to come out like this,” he said. “But since it has, I mean, I’m very, very grateful that I was the one who created this.”
The Silver City, Mississippi native turned into a Las Vegas local. Haywood has left a legacy on the court, but now he’s looking to make his mark in Southern Nevada. “Why not take a space in Summerlin next to Roseman University and build this retirement center in this retirement area for the NBA and the WNBA,” Haywood.
Former Lakers superstar Jerry West, for example, has publicly called for a retraction and apology for his depiction in the show. Magic, meanwhile, said his portrayal is “not even close” to how things actually went down during his rookie season. But Haywood — whose cocaine-addicted character in “Winning Time” put a hit on the Lakers after being kicked off the team before the NBA Finals — has a different perspective than the aforementioned greats. He’s actually happy the show came out.
“From episode 5 (when Haywood was introduced) and on, I was sick. I was crying. I couldn’t control my emotions,” Haywood said. “But it turned out to be a blessing. People were like, ‘I know you were crazy on that Lakers show, but let me look at your true story.’” And that’s what happened. Folks — including myriad NBA players — watched “Winning Time” and wanted to know just who this Spencer Haywood guy was. Here’s what they found out. He was a five-time All-Star who made two All-NBA first teams and two All-NBA second teams. He was the Rookie of the Year and MVP in his sole season in the ABA. Most significantly, though, he won a Supreme Court case that prohibited the NBA from mandating that players be at least four years removed from graduating high school before they could play in the league.
