When future Boston Celtics Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett made the leap straight from prep school to the NBA, he owed a debt to fellow Hall of Fame forward Spencer Haywood. In 1970, Haywood filed a lawsuit against the NBA, challenging its eligibility rules. He had left college early to play in the ABA (American Basketball Association) and had excelled as a rookie.
The NBA was concerned about the ABA raiding its players and decided to prevent him from playing, but Haywood’s case made its way to the Supreme Court, where the Supreme Court ruled 7 to 2 in favor of Haywood, allowing him to play.
Buy Celtics TicketsGarnett recently interviewed Haywood about this historic case and his involvement in it on a recent episode of the Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear the tale for yourself.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
