Once again Spencer Haywood is a finalist for the Hall of Fame.
If you want, you can make a strong statistical argument for why Haywood should be in the Hall of Fame. For his career, he was a 20 and 10 guy — 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. He was a five-time All-Star. He was the ABA’s MVP in 1970. He has an Olympic gold medal with Team USA. He has an NBA ring from 1980 with the Lakers. He was one of the best big men of his generation.
But that’s not the best reason.
Haywood was the guy who sued the NBA to allow players to leave college early to enter the league. It’s a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided 7-2 with Haywood. He changed the game, paving the way for everyone, including Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, to enter early.
The video above explains Haywood’s impact well.
Then put the man in the Hall of Fame already.