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#24POWER FORWARD AND CENTER

SPENCERHAYWOOD

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

Spencer Haywood — 1× NBA CHAMPION, 5× ALL-STAR.

Known as Abdullah Haywood for part of career
Spencer Haywood
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1×NBA CHAMPION
5×ALL-STAR
Notable Games
59pts59-Point Game
regular season · APR 15, 1970 vs DNR
45pts45-Point Game
playoffs · APR 19, 1970 vs WSA
BORN
April 22, 1949
Silver City, Mississippi
HEIGHT
6'8
203 cm
WEIGHT
225lb
102 kg
DRAFT
1971, R1, 13th
Buffalo Braves
NBA CAREER
1969–1982
16 seasons
01Biography

Spencer Haywood biography — NBA career story, legacy, championships, awards and personal background.

Career timeline, milestones, and place among all-time greats.

Spencer Haywood is a former NBA power forward, best known for his time with the WSB over 13 years. Spencer Haywood Selected in the Buffalo Braves , 2nd round (13th pick, 30th overall), 1971 NBA Draft, Inducted as Player in 2015, won 1 NBA championship (1980), averaged 20.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.8 APG for his career, stands 6'8 tall, nicknames include "Known as Abdullah Haywood for part of career".

02Quick Facts

Spencer Haywood quick facts — Height 6'8. 20.3 PPG career average. Championship years: 1980.

Height, weight, draft year, and years in the league.

Full Name
Spencer Haywood
High School
Pershing in Detroit, Michigan
Position
PF, C
Shoots
Right
Former Name
Never changed
Years Active
1969–1982
03Awards & Honors

Spencer Haywood awards and honors — Championship years: 1980.

Major individual and team accolades with seasons won.

1980 NBA CHAMP
5x
ALL STAR
4x
ALL-NBA
1969-70 ALL-ROOKIE
1969-70 All-Rookie
HALL OF FAME · 2015
🏅
1969-70 ALL-ABA
1969-70 All-ABA
1969-70 AS MVP
1969-70 AS MVP
1969-70 MVP
1969-70 MVP
04Career Scoring Average "Season"

05Career at a glance

Spencer Haywood career statistics summary — 20.3 PPG career average.

Regular-season averages and totals across the full NBA career.

16
Seasons
844
Games
20.3
Points Per Game
10.3
Rebounds Per Game
1.8
Assists Per Game
46.9%
Field Goal %
79.6%
Free Throw %
1
Championships
06Career Highs

Spencer Haywood career highs — best single-game performances in points, rebounds, assists and more.

Personal records with dates and opponents.

59pts
PTS
APR 15, 1970
vs DNR
31reb
REB
NOV 13, 1969
vs KEN
12ast
AST
MAR 1, 1970
vs DNR
4stl
STL
FEB 25, 1978
vs NYK
7blk
BLK
NOV 13, 1974
vs SEA
21.6gmsc
GmSc
FEB 2, 1979
vs CHI
07Advanced Metrics

Spencer Haywood advanced stats — PER, win shares, BPM and overall impact metrics.

Impact measured beyond traditional box score statistics.

19.1
PER
52.1%
TS%
78.5
WS
-0.3
BPM
7.7
VORP
23.6%
USG%
08Playoffs Career

Spencer Haywood playoff stats — postseason points, rebounds, assists and games played.

Postseason production across every playoff run.

19.6
PTS · Postseason avg
9.4REB
1.8AST
47.9%FG%
16.7%3P%
80.6%FT%
45 playoff games
09All-Star Games

Spencer Haywood All-Star Game stats — appearances, minutes and showcase performance.

Mid-season exhibition stats across every All-Star selection.

5
Selections
14.2PPG
10RPG
1.6APG
10Transactions
DNR→SEATTLE SUPERSONICS→→2TM→→NOJ→→DID NOT PLAY - OTHER PRO LEAGUE→

Spencer Haywood NBA transactions — trades, signings and team changes by date.

Team moves and dates across every NBA stop.

16 seasons · 9 teams
DNR SEATTLE SUPERSONICSNEW YORK KNICKS2TM NEW YORK KNICKSNOJ LOS ANGELES LAKERSDID NOT PLAY - OTHER PRO LEAGUEWASHINGTON BULLETS
1969197019751978197819781979198019811982
1969
Signed with Denver Rockets
1970
Traded: Philadelphia 76ers (as a future 1971 2nd round draft pick) → Buffalo Braves
1970
Signed with Seattle SuperSonics
1970
Signed with Seattle SuperSonics . (The NBA sued Seattle because Haywood violated rules stating a player could not join the league until he was four years out of high school; the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Seattle on March 8, 1971.) (free agent)
1971
Drafted 30th (2nd round) — Buffalo Braves
1975
Traded: Seattle SuperSonics → New York Knicks
1979
Traded: New York Knicks → New Orleans Jazz
1979
Traded: Utah Jazz → Los Angeles Lakers
1980
Waived — Los Angeles Lakers
1981
Signed with Washington Bullets (free agent)
1983
Waived — Washington Bullets
+FAQCommon questions

FAQ about Spencer Haywood — rings, MVP awards, career stats, height.

Answers to the most searched questions about championships and career honors.

Spencer Haywood averaged 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game in the regular season.

12Filmography

Spencer Haywood filmography — movies, documentaries and on-screen basketball roles.

Theatrical releases and documentary appearances.

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh poster
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
1979
13Similar Players

Players similar to Spencer Haywood — statistical peers by position, peak seasons and career arc.

All-time comparisons with the closest playing profile.