No Kobe Bryant, LeBron James from high school in the NBA, and no Larry Bird or Michael Jordan from college in the NBA — there would’ve been none of it, had it not been for Spencer Haywood. The 75-year-old, however, does not get enough credit for what he did for budding basketball players. But, Charles Barkley believes in giving respect and credit where it is due. This is the reason that the 11x All-Star follows one tradition that he has set for himself.

Appearing on the Podcast P with Paul George, Barkley faced the question of his experience of meeting all the players at the NBA 50th ceremony, as well as the 75th ceremony. The former Philadelphia 76ers star stated he had goosebumps meeting all these legendary figures. “Because anytime I meet two people, an old NBA player and a old black person, I make sure I tell them thank you,” he added. The reason for thanking an older person of color is thanking them for whatever they went through, revealed Chuck.

Meanwhile, he revealed the reason for thanking an old NBA player for making this game what it is. “Those guys didn’t make any money… Anytime I meet an old black basketball player, like a Spencer Haywood, a Kareem, guys like that, I say, yo, man, Clifford Ray, thank you. Thank you for doing all the heavy lifting,” the 11x All-Star said, via the Podcast P with Paul George.

Notably, Haywood’s contribution has not been just to basketball, but also to the upliftment of people of color. His 1968 Olympics gold medal, while the nation witnessed the Civil Rights movement, was the first major step in this direction. Though, this medal was special purely in a game sense as well. Haywood’s 145 points stayed the highest score at an Olympic appearance until Kevin Durant broke the record in 2012. But, the 75-year-old still holds the second place, while Charles Barkley comes in at third.

But more than failing to surpass the former SuperSonics star, Barkley cares about the fact that Haywood changed the game for young athletes. “Every time I see Spencer Haywood, man, I tell him thank you. He’s the reason we can leave college early…” he said.

What was Spencer Haywood’s contribution to the budding basketball stars?

Not many modern basketball fans may know that Haywood is the reason that players can enter the NBA, dropping from college and even directly from high school. However, this was not always the case. Not before the former SuperSonics star raised his voice for a change. Notably, there were certain issues and challenges that Haywood faced with his contract during his ABA phase.

But, he could still not move to the NBA. The reason, you ask? The old rule required players to be removed from high school for at least 4 years before they could play in the league. “I wasn’t permitted to enter the NBA until I was four years removed from high school. I met the owner of the Seattle SuperSonics, Sam Schulman, who was willing to sign me and fight against the League on my behalf. We launched an anti-trust suit that would come to be known as Haywood vs NBA,” Spencer told in an interview with Isis Haywood and Kaela Crowell.

And he fought this legal battle while playing for Seattle amid severe criticism and hate. The Supreme Court eventually ruled 7-2 against the NBA’s old requirement. Although the new rule was named as Spencer Haywood Rule, the term is not popularized enough. And considering most of the NBA stars now enter the league under this rule, it deserves more recognition. “Yeah, you know, he never got the credit and respect he deserved. But he’s the reason we got to leave college early,” even Chuck agreed. Charles Barkley re-emphasized this as the reason for thanking every older black person or NBA player he meets.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.