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5 unusual facts about Spencer Haywood


Marvin Lane

His teammates on Pershing's 1967 basketball team included future NBA stars, Spencer Haywood and Ralph Simpson.

Silver City, Mississippi

Spencer Haywood, participated on the US Olympic gold medal winning basketball team, then played professionally.

Spencer Haywood

In 1970, despite the NBA's eligibility rules, Haywood joined the Seattle SuperSonics, and with SuperSonics owner Sam Schulman launched an anti-trust suit against the league (Haywood v. National Basketball Association).

The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before the NBA agreed to a settlement.

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.


1971 NBA draft

This new rule came as a result of Spencer Haywood winning the court case against the NBA which allowed him to play in the NBA before his college class graduated.


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