Who was the great NBA player in the 60s or 70s who was supposed to go to Tennessee?

#1
NighthawkVol

NighthawkVol

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#1
I remember reading on a message board somewhere that we were supposed to have gotten somebody like Connie Hawkins or Cazzie Russell, but he ended up going straight to the NBA. It wasn’t one of those two, because I have looked it up, but it was someone like that. He signed with Tennessee, but never made it to campus. Anyone know who I’m talking about?
 
#2
#2
NighthawkVol said:
I remember reading on a message board somewhere that we were supposed to have gotten somebody like Connie Hawkins or Cazzie Russell, but he ended up going straight to the NBA. It wasn’t one of those two, because I have looked it up, but it was someone like that. He signed with Tennessee, but never made it to campus. Anyone know who I’m talking about?
Click to expand...
Spencer Haywood
 
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#7
#7
Rupp ruined that for us.

Spencer was a lot like Bernard King, brilliant basketball player who had injury and substance abuse issues thst prevented him from reaching his potential.

He was very close to being 1a and 1b with Kareem in college and had the best single year any player had in the ABA. Took the NBA to court to break the 4 year rule and was a superstar for the sonics before getting injured, traded to the knicks and was paired with Mcadoo for some bizarre reason. Married David Bowies wife before Bowie found her and fully embraced cocaine

Hes doing great now, wish Adolph had kept his nose out
 
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#8
#8
apevol said:
Rupp ruined that for us.

Spencer was a lot like Bernard King, brilliant basketball player who had injury and substance abuse issues thst prevented him from reaching his potential.

He was very close to being 1a and 1b with Kareem in college and had the best single year any player had in the ABA. Took the NBA to court to break the 4 year rule and was a superstar for the sonics before getting injured, traded to the knicks and was paired with Mcadoo for some bizarre reason. Married David Bowies wife before Bowie found her and fully embraced cocaine

Hes doing great now, wish Adolph had kept his nose out
Click to expand...
Thanks Ape,
Now i remember a little bit of his story from the “showtime “ series about the Lakers dynasty that was on HBO a few yrs back . I never knew that there was a TN connection in Spencer Haywood’s story .
 
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#9
#9
Jravol78 said:
Thanks Ape,
Now i remember a little bit of his story from the “showtime “ series about the Lakers dynasty that was on HBO a few yrs back . I never knew that there was a TN connection in Spencer Haywood’s story .
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he's basically the only person involved that didnt hate the series lol

He never tried to put a hit out on the lakers, but he did approach a known criminal about killing Westhead but his mother talked him out of it.

Ive heard conflicting reasons for why he didn't end up in Knoxville. He definitely signed here and I've heard Rupp contested Tennessees rights to sign him because he wanted him and I've heard he contested the signing because he didn't want him in the SEC.

He ended up going to community college for a season, starred in the Olympics then went on to 1 or 2 years at Detroit Mercy (i think?) and then left because theyd reneged on a promise theyd hire his highschool coach (would have been the first African American head coach in college)

He left the ABA because the Rockets tricked him into a contract that he wouldn't get paid full amount unless he worked for a trucking company the team owners owned til he was like 70 years old, hence contesting the 4 year rule in the NBA
 
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#10
#10
It was over 55 years ago but I still remember seeing him play in the old cow palace in Denver. A makeshift basketball court was installed in the building used for showing livestock REALLY. He went straight into the ABA as I recall. And he was a man playing with boys as I recall. THIS WAS IN 1970.
 
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#11
#11
ru4real-really? said:
It was over 55 years ago but I still remember seeing him play in the old cow palace in Denver. A makeshift basketball court was installed in the building used for showing livestock REALLY. He went straight into the ABA as I recall. And he was a man playing with boys as I recall. THIS WAS IN 1970.
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there is almost no footage of him pre injury and its really a shame. He could play SF, PF and spent an entire season at center when bill Russell asked him to. Got Seattle in the playoffs playing out of position
 
#13
#13
apevol said:
he's basically the only person involved that didnt hate the series lol

He never tried to put a hit out on the lakers, but he did approach a known criminal about killing Westhead but his mother talked him out of it.

Ive heard conflicting reasons for why he didn't end up in Knoxville. He definitely signed here and I've heard Rupp contested Tennessees rights to sign him because he wanted him and I've heard he contested the signing because he didn't want him in the SEC.

He ended up going to community college for a season, starred in the Olympics then went on to 1 or 2 years at Detroit Mercy (i think?) and then left because theyd reneged on a promise theyd hire his highschool coach (would have been the first African American head coach in college)

He left the ABA because the Rockets tricked him into a contract that he wouldn't get paid full amount unless he worked for a trucking company the team owners owned til he was like 70 years old, hence contesting the 4 year rule in the NBA
Click to expand...
Useless Trivia :

Spencer Haywood's coach at Detroit Mercy was none other than Dick Vitale.
 
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