When NBA fans talk about the game’s pioneers, names like Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Cousy always come up. Rightfully so—Russell was a force for civil rights, Robertson helped bring free agency to players, and Cousy played a crucial role in forming the NBPA. But somehow, Spencer Haywood’s name rarely makes the list, despite his impact.

Haywood recently took to Instagram to share a special video where LeBron gave him his due credit. While he appreciated the love from James, he couldn’t help but wish for another legend to step up. “@kingjames has always had my back and I wish @michaeljordanofficial would speak up for me too 🏀🙏🏾❤,” Haywood wrote in his IG story.

So what exactly did LeBron say? “I just think it’s very important to highlight and acknowledge people who’ve laid down the groundwork for us to be in the position that we are today. And I think Spencer Haywood is one of those guys, along with Kareem, along with the Big O, along with Bill Russell, along with so many others that played in that era,” James stated.

He didn’t stop there. LeBron further emphasized, “That just laid a lot of the groundwork both on the floor and also off the floor as well in order for me to sit here and play the game that I love to play. So as much as I fell in love with guys that played the game, also fell in love with the stories that was behind the game. Some of the hardships they had to go through in order to be in the positions they were.”

So King James admitted, ” So he’s [Spencer Haywood] one of those guys and it’s just all about respecting the journey.”

And what a journey it has been. Haywood wasn’t just overlooked—he was banned. Before his career even took off, he was labeled an “illegal player” for challenging the NBA’s rules. He was in court, fighting for future generations, while others played the game he loved.

“‘We’ve got an illegal player on the floor,’ blah-blah-blah,” Haywood recalled in an interview with The Guardian. “There was another injunction against me. So, they put me out into the snow.” But despite it all, he never lost hope.

How Haywood took on the NBA and changed the game forever

It all started with a bold move. After a dominant rookie season in the ABA, Spencer Haywood made headlines when he left the Denver Rockets to sign with the Seattle SuperSonics. There was just one problem—the NBA had a strict rule that barred players from joining before their college class graduated. Haywood, only 21 at the time, wasn’t eligible under those rules, but Seattle signed him.

And as a result, the league took both Haywood and the Sonics to court, arguing that the signing was illegal. But Haywood had a powerful case—he was the primary breadwinner for his family and needed to earn a living. That argument made it all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor.

Following the ruling, the NBA introduced a “hardship” rule in 1971, allowing players to enter the draft early if they could prove financial need. The NBA scrapped the hardship requirement in 1976, thus creating the Early Entry system we know today. Today, players can declare for the draft as long as they notify the league 45 days in advance—something that wouldn’t have been possible without Haywood’s fight.

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