In Las Vegas, Nevada at their 2009 Conference “The Mothers” were the First Organization to Publicly Recognize the Contribution made by Spencer Haywood to the Sport of Professional Basketball

Written by: Seaquett Williams

August 2009

It was with great honor and gratitude that the Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc. were the first to publicly recognize Mr. Spencer for his heroic stand against injustice.  Today his courageous act still benefits many of our sons and allows them the freedom to decide if they remain in college for their entire college eligibility or enter the NBA Draft early.

 Forty years ago a 19-year-old young man stood alone in front of the Supreme Court and stated his case against an NBA rule that he deemed unfair.

  “At the time the NBA prohibited the drafting or signing of a player before his college class had graduated.  Haywood’s class wouldn’t graduate until the end of the 1970-71 campaign, but the Sonics signed him anyway.  The NBA league office and other NBA teams opposed the move, protesting that it violated existing rules and that, since Haywood hadn’t gone through a draft, the Sonics had no right to him.  The NBA took Haywood and the Sonics to court.  The argument in Haywood’s favor was that, as the sole wage earner in his struggling family, he was a “hardship case” and therefore had a right to begin earning his living.  The Supreme Court ruled in Haywood’s favor, forever altering professional basketball.” 

“Beginning in 1971, underclassmen were allowed to enter the NBA Draft provided they could give evidence of “hardship” to the NBA office.  In 1976 the hardship requirement was eliminated in favor of the current Early Entry procedure, whereby any athlete with remaining college eligibility can enter the NBA Draft on the condition that he notifies the league office at least 45 days before the draft.”*

 The Mothers of Professional Basketball Players would like to take this opportunity to thank Spencer Haywood for opening up the NBA to undergraduate college players.

 What I hope I have and what I pray for is humility.  Humility says there were people before me who found the path.

Maya Angelou

 *Information taken from NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition