Spencer Haywood (born April 22, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist.

[4] The American Basketball Association (ABA) had a similar rule, but league executive Mike Storen came up with the idea for a hardship exemption.

With his mother raising 10 children while picking cotton at $2 per day in Mississippi, Haywood met the criteria.

[7] Haywood also won the ABA's 1970 All-Star Game MVP that year after recording 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots for the West team.

Haywood later played for the New Orleans Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Bullets.

He was dismissed from the Lakers by then-coach Paul Westhead during the 1980 NBA Finals for falling asleep during practice due to his addiction.

His wife Linda (Fay) died in 2022 and this information was shared on Spencer's social media accounts.

[16] Haywood was featured in the first season of the HBO show, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, where he was portrayed by actor Wood Harris.