As the Met Gala once again transformed New York’s steps into a living runway of fantasy and fame, the world watched in awe. Designers flexed imagination, stars shimmered in surreal silhouettes, and timelines exploded with every glittering arrival. But for Spencer Haywood, it wasn’t the same. One instance cut through the noise, triggering a memory stitched deep in the seams of his past. It’s been 43 years, but the name, the presence, and the memory are still fresh. And while the world applauded the spectacle, Haywood sat with something heavier than nostalgia. A quiet FOMO echoed louder than the cameras.

The algorithm did what it does best to bring the past into high-definition focus as social media bubbled with homage to famous Met Gala duos. While Rihanna and ASAPRocky grabbed news, another couple reappeared via a carousel post from ELLE Magazine under “Some of the Met Gala’s most iconic moments come in pairs.” Among the highlighted legends were none other than supermodel Iman and her late husband, David Bowie. It was a flawlessly curated throwback until it wasn’t.

Once Iman’s Met Gala partner, ex-husband Spencer Haywood, found himself trapped in a silent storm of emotions. He shared an Instagram Story showing a 1982 snapshot of himself and Iman, both youthful, bright, and arm in arm at the Gala. His caption of the story read: “Me and my wife @the_real_iman at the Met Gala in 1982. This year’s theme is Superfine Tailoring Black Style. All Praises to the most high God of the Universe.” When Iman herself shared ELLE’s post stressing her glam legacy with Bowie, ignoring her 1982 experience with Haywood completely, the sensitivity of that memory appeared to go overlooked.

The silence spoke volumes. Haywood’s Instagram Story was a subtle call-out, not only a flashback. His choice to publish that picture in a black-and-white freeze frame of the ex-couple suggested the moment was eclipsed by a different narrative. Well, that was not the one image he put in the story related to Iman. He posted a series of stories, one with his daughter and another with his granddaughter, both with the Iman linkage, highlighting how he still feels.

The stories remind, or rather are a rewriting of history, stressing a chapter that started long after her marriage with Haywood ended in 1987. Iman later tied the knot with David Bowie in 1992 and had a successful marriage. Bowie passed away in 2016 at the age of 69. Haywood, on the other hand, married Linda Haywood in 1990 and also had a blissful marriage, who also passed away in 2022. Now, as the world celebrates the Met Gala pictures and Haywood dives into his memory, let’s read about the big man’s legacy.

Spencer Haywood’s tough yet unmatched legacy

Spencer Haywood’s legacy is far more than just one red-carpet event or a single photograph. Haywood, born in Silver City, Mississippi, in 1949 into great poverty, overcame incredible odds to become one of the greats. His mother made only $2 a day picking cotton; his father passed away before he was born. A journey from a helpless youth to the very power hubs of sport and justice was started by a handmade basketball his mother created.

Just the start was Haywood’s 1968 Olympic gold medal. Having averaged 32 points at the University of Detroit, he bravely questioned the NBA’s obsolete “four-year rule,” which had left college basketball broken. His historic lawsuit against the league, which was one of the biggest lawsuits of that time, Haywood v. NBA, made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, finally clearing the way for future generations of athletes to turn pro early. Without that fight, there would be no LeBron James straight out of high school, no Kevin Garnett, no Kobe Bryant, and other players that we know are making waves in the sport at a very early age.

His influence on the court isn’t easy to forget. 4X All-Star, Haywood averaged 19.2 points and 9.3 rebounds across an NBA career that includes stints with the Seattle SuperSonics, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. His path, however, was not always straight; at times, substance abuse derailed it; he experienced suspension and redemption before being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. But the court chapter is long closed. Retired, the man now chose to live in nostalgia.

Haywood’s latest story on Instagram hints at a subtle nudge from a guy who was once on the center stage with Iman, highlights how legacy can be selective at times, and how social media’s curated memories can omit whole chapters of the past. Do you believe time heals every omission or only the ones that are reposted in the world, where almost everything revolves around social media?