Quick Facts

Spencer Haywood, a forgotten star, was born on April 22, 1949, in Silver City, Mississippi, USA, and was the eighth of the 10 siblings to a single mother Eunice Haywood as his father died three weeks earlier. This family survived in abject poverty, often gleaning clothes from nearby dumps and living on government rations.

How much is the Net worth of Spencer Haywood?

Spencer Haywood, a former NBA player from the United States, has a $3 million fortune. From 1969 through 1983, Spencer Haywood was a player in the NBA. He had stints with the Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Bullets, among other clubs. Haywood earned a gold medal with the US men’s national basketball team at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City before signing on with the NBA.

Haywood was the ABA MVP in 1970 and an NBA champion in 1980. He was an ABA All-Star, a four-time NBA All-Star, and the MVP of the All-Star Game. He received numerous more honors, and the Seattle SuperSonics retired his number 24 in his honor. Also, He is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Spencer made about $350,000 per season at his peak, which is equivalent to almost $1.5 million today. In addition, Spencer is well-known for his seven-year marriage to supermodel Iman. Together, they had one kid.

Nike Deal

A young, upstart shoe brand called Nike contacted Spencer early in his playing career and asked him to endorsing their goods. Spencer had the option of accepting $100,000 (about $500k in today’s currency) or a 10% stock stake in the business. Spencer regrettably decided on the $100k. Today, his net worth would be much higher than $10 billion had he accepted the equity offer (including dividends).

Early Years and Bio

On April 22, 1949, Spencer Haywood was born in Silver City, Mississippi. He relocated to Detroit, Michigan’s Krainz Woods area in his early teens. He then transferred to Pershing High School, where he assisted in guiding the basketball team to the state finals.

Collegiate Career

Haywood enrolled in Colorado’s Trinidad State Junior College in 1967. During the 1967–68 season, he had 22.1 rebounds and 28.2 points a game on the basketball team there. In the fall of 1968, Haywood subsequently transferred to the University of Detroit. He led the NCAA in rebounding that season with an average of 21.5 per game while averaging 32.1 points per game.

1968 Summer Olympics

Haywood earned a spot on the US men’s basketball team for the Summer Olympics in Mexico City in 1968 while still a college student. In addition to being the tournament’s youngest participant, he also led all scorers with an average of 16.1 points per game. He took home the gold medal for his group.

Denver Rockets

After his second year of college, Haywood made the decision to enter the workforce. However, NBA regulations at the time forbade this since a classmate had to graduate before they could play in the league. As a result, Haywood signed with the Denver Rockets of the ABA. He averaged 30 points and 19.5 rebounds per game during his debut season with the Rockets in 1969–1970, which helped the team win the ABA’s Western Division. The Rockets defeated the Washington Capitals in seven games to go to the division playoffs. In the end, the group lost to the Los Angeles Stars in the divisional championship. Haywood had a fantastic season despite the final defeat, setting ABA single-season records with his 986 field goals and 1,637 rebounds. He received awards for ABA Rookie of the Year and ABA MVP because of his accomplishments.

What is the Professional Career of Spencer Haywood?

Haywood joined the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA in 1970. His selection to the All-NBA First Team in 1972 and 1973 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1974 and 1975 were among the high points of his five seasons with the team. In the 1972–73 season, Haywood also set a new single-season franchise record for average points scored per game with 29.2. With an average of 13.4 per game the next year, he broke the previous single-season mark for rebounds for the franchise. Haywood assisted in guiding the SuperSonics to their first-ever playoff spot in 1974–75, his final season with the team. He also participated in four NBA All-Star Games while with Seattle.

Haywood was moved to the New York Knicks after his five seasons with the SuperSonics, where he played from 1975 to 1979. He was notable for playing with Bob McAdoo. Haywood then made a brief appearance with the New Orleans Jazz. He then participated in the 1979–80 Los Angeles Lakers season after that. Haywood was dealing with a cocaine addiction at this time. He was ultimately fired by the Lakers during the 1980 NBA Finals after dozing off during practice. Haywood played with the Washington Bullets from 1981 to 1983, where his NBA career came to an end.

Reyer Venezia

Between his stints with the Lakers and the Bullets in the 1980–81 season, Haywood participated for the Italian basketball team Reyer Venezia. He shared the field with Draen Dalipagi of Serbia, one of the most accomplished athletes in Yugoslavian history.

Haywood v. National Basketball Association

Haywood and the Seattle SuperSonics broke an NBA rule that stated a player could not join the league if they were less than four years out of high school when they signed with the team in 1969. Faced with dire repercussions, Haywood made the decision to flout NBA regulations by teaming up with SuperSonics owner Sam Schulman to file an antitrust lawsuit against the league.

The contention was that the policy amounted to a trade constraint and was therefore prohibited by the Sherman Antitrust Act. The US District Court for the Central District of California had previously issued an injunction in Haywood’s favor, and the matter ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which sustained it. After that, an out-of-court deal was negotiated between Haywood and the SuperSonics that allowed him to stay in the league.

Who is the Wife of Spencer Haywood?

Haywood wed actress and fashion model Iman in 1977. They were parents to a daughter they named Zulekha. Later, in 1987, the couple was divorced. In 1990, Haywood wed Linda, his second wife; the couple had three daughters. Haywood was honored with a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2015.

Social Media Presence

Spencer Haywood is active on the majority of well-known social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. His involvement on Twitter and Instagram has given his followers a more dependable and efficient means to get in touch with Spencer. On Instagram, he has 1,452 followers and 219 posts. He has posted 735 tweets on his Twitter account up to this point, bringing his total number of followers to 2,977.

Frequently Asked Questions

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