Spencer Haywood is Building for a Better Future

Basketball Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood plans to build a retirement community for former players.

Spencer Haywood has packed centuries of experiences into a single lifetime. The son of a Mississippi sharecropper became the face of a Supreme Court case that transformed American sports. Not to mention, he was a gold medalist, won an NBA Championship, and was the first player to sign with Nike.

Of course, many younger hoops fans know Haywood as the troubled character portrayed in the first season of the HBO show "Winning Time." Luckily, Haywood's battle with addiction and mental health issues has a happy ending.

After the tumultuous 1979-80 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Haywood's then-wife Iman encouraged him to seek therapy. After some reluctance, the superstar uncovered PTSD from his legal battle, which fueled his addiction.

"I went into treatment, and from there, I started my trail of sobriety one day at a time. I make my meetings, I do all of the things I need to do, and this is my 38th year. I still go see my psychologist every week and do all of my maintenance for my mental wellness."

While Haywood loved actor Wood Harris' portrayal and the lesson of hope people can take from his story, he did want something else included. "I wish they had included more of the backstory of Iman and me. She was a struggling wife who was going through an addictive husband, so what was her life like? But you only have so much room in those shows."

Spencer Haywood at the Jerry Colangelo Basketball Hall of Fame Golf Classic :: © Alex Gould/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

In addition to a plethora of books and documentaries, fans wanting to learn more about Haywood's story can expect a movie in the future after the strike in Hollywood reaches a conclusion.

Even better for sneakerheads, Haywood is working with Nike to bring back some of his retro basketball shoes. As for his well-documented decision to sell early stock in Nike, Haywood considers it more of a blessing in disguise. "If I had all that money when I was getting high, I would be dead."

He still loves the brand and the shoes, even if his peers didn't buy the hype at the time. "When we played in the NBA All-Star Game, Wilt (Chamberlain) and those guys were kidding me about the shoe because they said the logo looked like an upside-down Newport cigarette logo."

While Haywood is constantly juggling multiple projects, one that is near and dear to his heart is his vision for a retirement center in Las Vegas, Nevada, for retired NBA and WNBA players.

"Now that I've just been re-elected onto the board of NBA retired players, the one thing I want to do - and we are meeting again with Roseman University - is to build a retirement center for former players who need some help. In the meantime, we have a mental health program that is run by my daughter, Shaakira Haywood Stewart, who is a psychologist and works with the NBA Players Association - the current guys."

With decades of experience and wisdom, Haywood has become an indispensable voice in the sport. At 74 years old, the statesman is still building for a better future for himself and athletes of all ages. 

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