SPENCER HAYWOOD’S NEW BOOK!
Mental + Spiritual Health
– Substance abuse support
– Therapy
– Spiritual guidance
Written by: Marc J. Spears and Gary Washburn
From picking cotton in rural Mississippi to the historic 1968 Olympics to ABA MVP to the battle with the NBA that would go all the way to the Supreme Court and change the league forever, Spencer Haywood’s life has been a microcosm of 20th century sports and culture.
Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated and Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tell the remarkable story of a man who was born into indentured servitude in rural Mississippi, and all of the unbelievable trials, tribulations, successes, failures, and redemptions that followed.
Haywood would go on to be the ABA Rookie of the Year and MVP, but his triumphs on the court are only part of the legend. His winding journey off the court saw him challenge the NBA’s draft-entry rules and win at the Supreme Court level; run in New York City high-fashion circles in the mid-1970s with his then-wife, supermodel Iman; and bottom out with alcohol and drug addiction during the infancy of the Showtime Lakers dynasty. Spears and Washburn explore how Haywood’s impact was felt throughout the NBA and in society at large—and still is to this day—culminating in Haywood’s inspiring second act as an advocate for current and retired NBA players alike.
A 501(C)(3) Certified Non-Profit Organization
Our mission is to support nonprofits pursuing social justice initiatives and organizations that provide health counseling, and education, welfare, and sports development opportunities in marginalized communities.
– Substance abuse support
– Therapy
– Spiritual guidance
– Camps workout regimens
– Healthy eating habits and nutritional education
– Physical Therapy
– Prostate Cancer Awareness
– Financial literacy [and other workshops and classes]
– Job interview training
– Scholarships
– Resources for schools
– Legal Defense and Education
– Immigration Reform
– Accessibility to healthcare
– Tolerance Education
The 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City were the most politically charged Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin. Ten days before the Games were to open, students protesting the Mexican government’s use of funds for the Olympics rather than for social programs were surrounded in the Plaza of Three Cultures by the army and fired upon. More than 200 protesters were killed and over a thousand injured. At the victory ceremony for the men’s 200-metre run, Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos (gold and bronze medalists, respectively) stood barefoot, each with head bowed and a single black-gloved fist raised during the national anthem. The athletes described the gesture as a tribute to their African American heritage and a protest of the living conditions of minorities in the United States. Officials from the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee judged the display to be counter to the ideals of the Games; both athletes were banned from the Olympic Village and sent home.
Britannica
Photos: Getty Images, Bettman Archive, Undefeated, Colorado Springs Gazette
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided March 1, 1971
Haywood was granted an injunction pendente lite which allowed him to play for Seattle and forbade the NBA to take sanctions against the Seattle team.
Wikipedia
Official Hoophall
MSNBC
Click to Read The Article…
LA Times
New York Post
Slam