Born in Detroit, Michigan, Hairston played high school basketball at Kettering High School in Detroit before playing collegiately for Michigan State,[1] averaging 19.3 ppg and 11.5 rpg in his senior season (1974–75), and was twice named first-team All-Big Ten.

[2] Controversially, Hairston was one of a number of black players who walked out on Michigan State coach Gus Ganakas before a key Big Ten game on January 4, 1975, against Indiana.

Ganakas elected to start Jeff Tropf, who was white, 10 black players, led by team captain Hairston, walked out of the team meeting, returned for the game but were then suspended by Ganakas.

Michigan State lost the game 107–55 with a patchwork roster that included junior varsity players.

He went on to play in France for several years, winning the FIBA Korać Cup in 1984 as a member of the team of Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez.