Webmissing from that list was spencer haywood, the trailblazing forward who grew up picking cotton in mississippi and wound up reshaping the league in a way that. Webspencer haywood kicked open doors in the 1970s and had others slammed in his face for his success. Now a new film brings his remarkable story to life. Webthe true story is that spencer haywood was suspended, not cut, from the team after game 3 of the nba finals. The decision was paul westhead's in real life too,. Webthe first time i met mr. Haywood, he cursed me out, shaq said, referring to the legendary spencer haywood, a 2015 hall of fame inductee who smiled wide behind. Webhe was an unrivaled talent who broke down barriers and defeated the nba at the supreme court before losing a battle to drug addiction. Watch the moving story. Webhaywood was referring to the landmark 1971 supreme court decision haywood v. National basketball association, which ruled against the nba's rule where. Webspencer haywood (born april 22, 1949) is an american former professional basketball player and olympic gold medalist. Haywood is a member of the naismith memorial. Haywood was watching tv in the olympic village when he saw tommy smith and john carlos standing on the medal podium with their fists clenched.