Tag: Spencer Haywood

Los Angeles Lakers legend Spencer Haywood on if there were players like Kevin Garnett in his era

“He’s got the dog in him, you know what I mean?” said Haywood of KG. “That makes you special.”

Though the second season of the popular “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” series debuts Aug. 6, you will not seeing much of Spencer Haywood.

The Hall of Fame big man was only with Los Angeles for that one season. But Haywood recently sat down with the eponymous host of the “Scoop B Selects” podcast, Brandon “Scoop B’ Robinson, to talk about a range of issues, and Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett found his way into the chat.

Asked whether there were players like The Big Ticket back in his day, Haywood replied “Well, I can say some skill wise but there is something more to Kevin Garnett than just skills.”

“He’s got the grit,” added Haywood. “He’s got the dog in him, you know what I mean? That makes you special.”

“Then, he’s a Chicago guy but he was brought up from down south, so sometimes it’s something about us guys who grew up in the South early and then moved to the city when we were in our teenage years.”

“We have an edge and a chip, we have the best of both worlds,” said Haywood.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Spencer Haywood has transformed the NBA …

Spencer Haywood has transformed the NBA in more ways than one. Now, he’s looking to be a game-changer right here in Las Vegas. “Before I came along, the NBA didn’t allow players to leave high school, college or anything you had to stay for four years after your high school class or graduated,” Haywood said. “So I sued the NBA for the rights to play.” Five decades later, the impact of Haywood is clear every time you look on an NBA court. “In that Supreme Court ruling, I won seven to two,” Haywood said.

Former Lakers superstar Jerry West, for …

Former Lakers superstar Jerry West, for example, has publicly called for a retraction and apology for his depiction in the show. Magic, meanwhile, said his portrayal is “not even close” to how things actually went down during his rookie season. But Haywood — whose cocaine-addicted character in “Winning Time” put a hit on the Lakers after being kicked off the team before the NBA Finals — has a different perspective than the aforementioned greats. He’s actually happy the show came out.

“From episode 5 (when Haywood was …

“From episode 5 (when Haywood was introduced) and on, I was sick. I was crying. I couldn’t control my emotions,” Haywood said. “But it turned out to be a blessing. People were like, ‘I know you were crazy on that Lakers show, but let me look at your true story.’” And that’s what happened. Folks — including myriad NBA players — watched “Winning Time” and wanted to know just who this Spencer Haywood guy was. Here’s what they found out. He was a five-time All-Star who made two All-NBA first teams and two All-NBA second teams. He was the Rookie of the Year and MVP in his sole season in the ABA. Most significantly, though, he won a Supreme Court case that prohibited the NBA from mandating that players be at least four years removed from graduating high school before they could play in the league.

People tend to believe what they see on …

People tend to believe what they see on TV. So when “Winning Time” aired, Haywood freaked. Hard. “I was worried to death about it. Worried about my kids, my grandkids, and my ego most importantly,” said Haywood, adding that he would pause the show mid-viewing to call his psychologist. “I didn’t want that sucker to be bruised too much, even though it’s taken a beating.” But his kids were fine with it. And the grandkids just thought it was cool that Papa was on TV. As for the ego? It seems to be taking more of a stroking than a beating.

Spencer Haywood, formerly the NBRPA …

Spencer Haywood, formerly the NBRPA chairman, acknowledged that it’s hard to know how many former players have been affected. “I don’t know if we’re getting accurate reporting,” said Haywood, another Hall of Famer. “Because people who have it might not know, and others who know might not want to talk about it. “Right now, it’s in Florida. It’s Houston very strongly and that’s one of our largest communities of past players. I’ve been calling people, telling ‘em certain things to do and take some precautions. We have a list – I don’t go through the whole list, but I just talk to some of the guys who I know.” Living in Las Vegas, Haywood – the subject of a book, “The Spencer Haywood Rule” to be released in October – works the phone randomly to keep NBRPA members feeling connected. For example, he spoke Tuesday with Hall of Famer Earl Monroe, who has had some health challenges, and reported that Monroe was “hanging in there.”

It might not look like much now, but …

A look back at Ray Allen, the ultimate scoring sharpshooter

Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen had one of the prettiest shooting strokes you’ll ever see.

Ray Allen has one of the cleanest releases in NBA history. He always jumped in the air the same, and the ball flicked off his fingers with ease as it journeyed to the rim.

Allen had the perfect jumper, and because of it, he had one of the best careers a hooper could imagine.

A two-time champion and Hall of Famer, Allen made one of the best clutch shots in league history. Flash back to Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals: The Miami Heat are down 95-92 with under 20 seconds left in regulation against the San Antonio Spurs.

As LeBron James missed a 3-pointer, Chris Bosh got the rebound.Bosh found Allen, who had hustled back to the 3-point line.

Allen’s ability to know where the 3-point line was and not step out of bounds is a testament to his basketball IQ. He could have even had a toe on the line, but because of his practice and reps, he got where he needed to be.

The shot was as clean as any Allen made throughout his career — only this one was the biggest and most important. The game went into overtime, and the Heat went on to win the game and the series.

Though he ended his career in Miami, Allen spent a good chunk of time with the Seattle SuperSonics. He was traded to the franchise from the Milwaukee Bucks in the middle of the 2002-03 season. The bulk of his best statistical years were in Seattle, averaging 24.6 points per game during his tenure with the team.

A 10-time All-Star, Allen had his best season scoring-wise during the 2006-07 campaign, his last with the Sonics before he was traded to the Boston Celtics in the summer of 2007.

That season, Allen scored a career-high 26.4 points per game and ranked sixth in the league for the category. He also shot 37.2% from the 3-point line.

Allen is one of the SuperSonics’ best players ever. According to Basketball Reference, he ranks fifth in 3-point field goals (869) in SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder history.

He also has the fourth-highest career points per game average in franchise history, right behind Kevin Durant, Paul George and Spencer Haywood.

When Allen played with the Celtics, he gave more meaning to his storied career. He helped bring in the Big 3 era with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

The trio led the Celtics to the title in 2008, earning the franchise’s first since 1986. During that championship season, Allen was third on the Celtics in points per game (17.4) and second in 3-point percentage (39.8%).

As one of the best shooters ever, Allen holds the title of the NBA’s 3-point champion — that is, until Steph Curry eventually catches up. But for now, Allen ranks first all-time in 3-point field goals (2,973).

That jumper took Allen places, but his scoring prowess elevated him into the league’s upper echelon of all-time greats. A member of the 20,000-point club, Allen finished his career with 24,505 points.

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