Spencer Haywood is the man who brought in one of the biggest changes in the NBA. Back in 1971, he went against the NBA to fight for his cause. He is the reason why talented high school players such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James could dominate in the league at young age. However, so many decades after the incident, the NBA legend has one complaint. He even accused the NBA of it. Taking to his Instagram handle, the 75-year-old expressed his doubt on why the league is trying to hide him.

“I REALLY HATE THAT THE NBA IS KEEPING MY BASKETBALL HISTORY HIDDEN. BECAUSE OF MY US SUPREME COURT RULING (HAYWOOD VS NBA) MARCH 1, 1971 WHICH HAS HELPED PLAYERS TO MAKE 65 BILLION DOLLARS AND THE NBA FRANCHISE TO GROW FROM 16 TEAMS TO 30 TEAMS. HISTORY!!!! ALL PRAISES TO THE MOST HIGH GOD OF THE UNIVERSE 🌍❤️🏀🏀🏀💯🙏🏾,” Haywood wrote on Instagram.

Along with the message, the NBA legend shared a photo of the list of top NBA scorers from the 1972-74 season. The first two positions featured Nate Archibald, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar with 2719 and 2292, respectively. While Spencer Haywood was placed in the third position with 2251.

What happened was back in 1970, Spencer left college early and joined the Seattle Sonics, leading to a legal battle. As per NBA guidelines, players had to wait 4 years after high school graduation to join the league. Later, the Supreme Court ruled the case in his favor, ultimately making the Haywood Rule.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant

In an episode of Kevin Garnett’s KG Certified, Haymond recalled a statement of former Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall and said, “He made all of this money for the Olympics, he made all this money for the University, he made all of this money for the ABA and yet he can’t make a living in the NBA.”

Before this big change, Haywood wasn’t allowed to participate in the games. However, after the Haymond Rule, players are no longer required to wait for 4 years to pursue their dreams in the league.

King James is one of the leading scorers in the league’s history. After an impressive High School career, the Cavaliers drafted the 6-ft-9 champ. He was named the Rookie of the Year. King James also won a bronze medal in his debut in the Olympic Games in Athens.

The 2x Olympic Gold medalist Bryant’s contribution has been instrumental in the league. Just at the age of 18, Bryant was the youngest player to start an NBA game. The Los Angeles Lakers legend 5x NBA champ still holds the record. The change of the 4-year-rule has benefitted numerous stars, including the greats of the game.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.