Spencer Haywood
Spencer Haywood will be remembered for being the first player to leave college early to play professional ball and for inspiring the creation of the "hardship clause", an aptly named provision that allowed those in financial difficulties to play in the NBA before their college class had graduated.
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, there were many African-American college athletes with hopes of playing pro ball who were living in the pampered world of NCAA stardom while their families back home could barely piece together a hearty meal. Spencer Haywood would not stand for that, and he challenged the basketball establishment, the pro leagues and the NCAA. The one reason this man is not in the Hall is the same reason he should be a hero for every underclassman who has ever been draft-eligible; he is the man who gave them the chance to dream about making the league early.
When Spencer Haywood succesfully battled the powers that be and was granted the right to feed his family by playing a game he clearly had the ability to dominate, he signed his own death sentence, politics-wise. From then on, owners frowned at the fact that they would not only have to sign athletes to longer contracts, but those contracts would also be worth a lot more money since struggling professionally at age 19 or 20 will season you faster than dominating in the NCAA. Commissioners frowned, for he opened the door for what the elite saw as young thugs and immature players. Fans frowned, because these players were, in their eyes, negatively affecting quality of play, since they had not played in a structured college system long enough (or at all, in some cases). To this day, players frown, because many think he's nothing more than an attention-starved old man who holds a grudge against those who have been succesful.
(Props are very much in order for LBJ, Melo, Shaq and a select few other NBA stars for making sure their teammates know their history, as well as a huge shout-out to Alonzo Mourning, who has worked to keep Haywood's legacy alive, and KG, who started his MVP speech in 2004 by thanking Spencer Haywood)
I don't know Spencer Haywood personally, but from all the interviews and features I have read on him, he seems like a sincere human being, somebody who does not seek recognition for selfish reasons. From what I gather, Spencer Haywood is a man who fights for his legacy not to be forgotten, for his legend not to be overshadowed by his controversial court case and his cocaine use. He fights, as he once said, "to make it better for the next man".
Now, Spencer Haywood should be enshrined simply for the fact that he fought the power, won, and his victory gave the basketball world the chance to witness the rise of players like LeBron James, Kobe, T-Mac, etc. It's not only the prom-to-pros crowd who has Haywood to thank, but also every single player who left college early. If you don't think underclassmen declaring early has made that big an impact on the NBA, just look at last year's All-NBA teams. Out of 15 players, only Steve Nash and Tim Duncan played out their college eligibility. For perspective's sake, four American players in that list never set foot on an NCAA hardwood.
However, lest you think this was just an average player, I'll list a few of his accomplishments:
- Led the gold medal winning 1968 US Olympic Team in scoring
- Led the NCAA in rebounding his sophomore season, complementing his 21.5 rpg with 32.1 ppg
- Rookie of the year and ABA MVP in his rookie season, putting up 30 ppg and 19.5 rpg
- 1970 ABA All-Star Game MVP
- 4-time NBA All-Star
- 19.2 overall career ppg, 9.3 overall career rpg
- 1980 NBA champion
As you can see, this man should be in the Hall of Fame. Let's go through the basic requirements for enshrinement. Long, productive career? Check. Dominance, both in college and pro ball? Check. Team success? Check. Undeniable impact on the game? Check.
Unfortunately for Spencer Haywood, you can also check the box right next to "Pissed off the basketball oligarchy?".
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