[Note: much of the information below comes from the books Unguarded by Terry Pluto and Lenny Wilkens, The Spencer Haywood Story by Bill Libby and Spencer Haywood, and the Autobiography of Spencer Haywood. I decided to rely heavily on these sources because of the historical importance of the events described. But any misinformation is probably my fault.]

He had helped the NBA to lure top players away from its rival league -- Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Connie Hawkins, even getting Rick Barry to return. Sam Schulman was a tough, stubborn man -- a skilled negotiator, a master at many facets of business. And he was a man who did not quit when he knew he was right. Along with Spencer Haywood, and Spencer's agent Al Ross, Sam Schulman changed the sports business forever. Basketball -- and football as well -- irrevocably changed when Sam signed Spencer Haywood as a Seattle SuperSonic. It came at a heavy price.

The Sonics had gotten off to a terrible start in the 1970-71 season. Their 3-1 record was impressive, and they led the Pacific Division. But their star center, Bob Rule, had spent the summer trying hard to get OUT of shape -- then, shortly before the season began, he crash-dieted to avoid being fined for reporting overweight. Then, in the 4th game of the season, Rule hurt his achilles tendon and was out for the season.

The Sonics lost 4 in a row and plummeted toward the depths of the Pacific Division. Player/coach Lenny Wilkens inserted a new center into the starting lineup, Don Smith, who would later change his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz. The Sonics went on a 7-4 run while Abdul-Aziz averaged 19 points and 17 rebounds. Their streak was capped by a 111-110 victory over the mighty Lakers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich.

But Zaid fell ill; he was diagnosed with an inflammation in the lining of his heart, and afterward he never played as well again. Seattle lost 3 in a row while Zaid was out. It was only late November, and the Sonics were 10-11, better than the year before. But with their newly acquired talent, everyone had expected more.

They needed help. Rookie big man Pete Cross filled in, but had injury problems as well. Owner Sam Schulman began looking desperately for someone who could help the Sonics become a playoff team. Player salaries were rising -- thanks to competition for players from the rival ABA -- and the Sonics needed good attendance if they were to meet these new costs.

Schulman looked to the ABA. The ABA had stolen some great players away from the NBA -- Rick Barry and Billy Cunningham were the biggest names -- and he didn't see why he couldn't return the favor. Two years before, Connie Hawkins -- who had been banned from the NBA because they thought, without evidence, that in the early 60's he had been involved in a college basketball betting scandal, since a friend of his had been -- was lured from the ABA and drafted by the NBA. In fact, Schulman had been instrumental in getting Hawkins, the ABA MVP, to drop his lawsuit against the NBA and sign with the Phoenix Suns. Hawkins had turned out to be a star in the NBA as well, even though he was getting past his prime. But there was another MVP to consider.

Seattle Signs Spencer Haywood

The 1969-70 MVP of the ABA was a 19 year old phenomenon, Spencer Haywood, who was also named Rookie of the Year and MVP of the All Star game. He had averaged 30 points and 19.5 rebounds per game that season, and led the floundering Denver Rockets to the semifinals of the playoffs. But Haywood was unhappy playing for Denver (now known as the NBA's Denver Nuggets); he felt that he wasn't treated with respect, and he was unhappy with his contract, which held most of the money in investments that he couldn't touch for 30 or 40 years. Haywood -- young, alone, and without much education -- felt betrayed by everyone around him; since High School everyone had tried to use him, given him bad advice, and once they got what they wanted they wouldn't listen to him anymore.

Meanwhile, Spencer was sitting out the early part of his second season with a broken hand.

Spencer had signed a 5-year contract (actually three contracts) with Denver. That would make it hard to get him into the NBA. Another problem was that the NBA did not allow "youngsters" to play in the league -- that is, players whose college class had not yet graduated. Thus Wilt Chamberlain, having left Kansas a year early, played for the Globetrotters for a year until he was eligible for the draft. Sam might have to wait for a year and a half to sign Haywood -- if someone else didn't draft him first.

But then again, Haywood was already a professional player. The ABA had signed him as a hardship case. Professionals didn't need to be drafted.

Denver didn't want to let Haywood out of his contracts. But Haywood's new agent, Al Ross, claimed that the contracts were illegal (the Denver owners claimed that the three contracts were all "increasingly valid" to quote them from The Spencer Haywood Story.) And Schulman knew that personal service contracts could be broken. How could you force someone to work for you if they didn't want to do the work?

Yet another problem was that several other NBA teams, including the Lakers, Milwaukee, Boston, New York, Buffalo, San Francisco, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Cincinatti, had been trying to lure Haywood to the NBA. Including Seattle, 10 out of the 17 teams in the NBA were actively going after Haywood, either directly or by third party. This included the Celtics, even though GM Red Auerbach routinely trashed the ABA as a bush league. Haywood was simply too talented to pass up.

The Sonics and Lakers asked the league about Haywood's eligibility. They were quoted the standard line: not until Haywood's class had graduated. Teams still wanted him, even if it meant waiting. Sam didn't want to wait. He believed that the 4-year rule was illegal.

Haywood was like a young Connie Hawkins -- with great moves for a big forward, huge hands, athletic, strong, a good sense for the game, and smart. In every level of play -- high school, junior college, a year in the NCAA, and then in the ABA, Haywood had looked like a man playing against boys. Jerry West, star of the Lakers, quipped that the Lakers would not only be a shoo-in for the title, but might not lose again if they added Haywood to their lineup.

Personally, Haywood relished the thought of playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson in Milwaukee, and the Bucks had offered decent money. But when Sam Schulman came calling, he pledged something that Haywood wanted even more. He would stand with Haywood no matter what, and pick up every legal fee no matter how long and costly the proceedings. Here was a man whom Spencer Haywood could trust.

Initially, Schulman had offered to help free Haywood from his questionable Denver contract, even if it meant allowing him to be drafted by any team. He also promised to help broker a merger of the ABA and NBA, in an effort to limit the skyrocketing salaries that resulted from bidding wars for star players. On all counts he was refused by the NBA brass.

Schulman was furious. The biggest mistake the league made was to make Sam Schulman furious.

Sam vowed to sign Haywood for the Sonics -- right away, not after he was "eligible." In December of 1970, Spencer Haywood gladly signed a 6-year, $1.5 million contract with Schulman -- big money for 1970. [At one point Schulman entertained the notion of signing every former UCLA player (including Abdul Jabbar, Gail Goodrich, and Sidney Wicks to name just a few), moving the Sonics to LA, calling them the Bruins, and adding Haywood to the lineup. Thankfully for Seattle, he decided it wouldn't work!]

While forces massed against Sam and Spencer, the NBA's players association made no effort to work on Haywood's behalf. The NBA, led by Walter Kennedy, went to court to stop Haywood from playing. The NBA owners voted 15-2 (only Phoenix sided with Seattle) against Haywood's signing. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, Schulman's long-time enemy, led the fight to penalize Schulman (it ended up being a large fine that apparently was never paid.) Some owners threatened to boycott their games against Seattle if Haywood played. The Buffalo Braves (now the LA Clippers) argued that they should get Haywood, since they were an expansion team (Portland and Cleveland were also expansion teams that year.) Others were content to simply hurl abuse or make snide comments to the press about how the case would create chaos and ruin college basketball.

Collegiate officials, meanwhile, didn't seem to mind seeing Haywood earn a living.

The ABA fought as well. They didn't have the fan base or money that most NBA teams did, and they couldn't afford to lose a star like Haywood. The owners of the Denver Rockets were the most vocal and stubborn -- they refused to let Schulman buy out Haywood's contract -- and some say they even instigated a smear campaign against Haywood and his agent. They sued and countersued to force Haywood to hold to his contract.

Haywood realized he could never, on an emotional level, play for the Nuggets given all the abuse they seemed to be giving him. And the more he got to know Schulman, the more he respected the man's tenacity and trustworthiness. He wanted to be a Sonic.

Spencer Plays for Seattle

In January, a federal court ruled that the NBA's 4-year rule was illegal, and that Haywood's contract with Seattle precluded him from going through an open draft (Buffalo, in a desperate attempt, drafted him anyway the following year; the pick was never validated.) The NBA set up a hardship rule so that exceptions to their strict 4-year rule could be made. (A few years later they discarded the hardship rule since it was too subjective; now any adult can be drafted and signed, regardless of collegiate status.)

Haywood made his first appearance as a Sonic in January 1971 at Chicago and was nearly booed off the court. Some players refused to talk to him or shake his hand. In Milwaukee, his idol, Oscar Robertson, long an advocate for NBA player benefits, turned his back when Haywood tried to greet him. (This according to The Spencer Haywood Story.)

Meanwhile, Spencer, at 6-9 and 215, was undersized for a center, but he was best suited amongst the small Sonics lineup for that job. From game to game he was never sure if he would be allowed to play, given the owners' threats to forfeit and the possibility that the ruling in his favor might be overturned.

The booes and protests continued; teams left Haywood off the team programs; and the press outside of Seattle generally took a negative view of his signing. Some of his fellow Sonics resented his presence - he was overpaid and unproven in their book (exceptions included Lenny Wilkens, Rod Thorn, and Bob Rule.) And he was still in court against Denver -- forced frequently to fly back and forth to give testimony at the proceedings. Throughout January and February, Spencer Haywood was an emotional and physical wreck. Even so, he played in 33 games for the Sonics, and averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds (only eight other players, mostly famous centers like Chamberlin and Jabbar, managed to average 20 and 10.)

Late in the season, Spencer began to adjust to the torture: the Sonics ended the season on a 7-4 run, including a 130-97 victory over Detroit, a 122-121 win over the Bucks, and wins over the Lakers, Bullets, and Knicks. In the win against Baltimore, Spencer shot 65% from the field, scored 35 points, and brought down 16 rebounds.

On March 30, 1971, the dispute was settled out of court -- after the regular season was over. Schulman paid Denver and both sides left, feeling bruised and battered. But the end of the 4-year rule, and the settlement with Denver, opened the doors. Players like Charlie Scott, George McGinnis, and Jim Chones took an early leap to the big time.

[Schulman eventually helped engineer the merger between the two leagues -- so that Indiana, San Antonio, New York Nets, and Denver joined the NBA in the 1976-77 season.]

A Crippled Sonics Lineup

Other than Spencer Haywood, only Lenny Wilkens and Dick Snyder averaged more than 25 minutes per game. Bob Boozer had left for Milwaukee and a championship ring. Bob Kauffman had been traded and now was a star for the Buffalo Braves. Meanwhile, the Sonics were riddled with medical problems. And medical care in sports had not advanced to the level it has today. Many problems would end up hurting players for the rest of their career. Bob Rule was a prime example.

Bob Rule played the first four games for the Sonics, then partially tore his achilles heel. The 6-9 center averaged 30 points, 11.5 rebounds, and almost 2 assists in that short span. He did not return that season, and he would never be the same level of player again.

Don Smith (aka Zaid Abdul-Aziz) played 61 games for the Sonics, but shortly after replacing Rule, he developed a heart condition and his play -- and minutes -- became severely limited. Overall, the third-year veteran, standing 6-9 and 235 pounds, averaged 21 minutes per game, 10.9 points, and 7.7 rebounds. But for a brief period early in the season he was averaging 19 points and 17 rebounds.

Rookie Pete Cross, a second round pick, was capable of playing center at 6-9 and 240, but medical conditions limited his performance. He was known as a pleasant guy and was well-liked by his teammates. In 25 minutes per game he averaged 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 1.4 assists -- good numbers for a rookie. Those same medical conditions (I think it was cancer) ended his career two years later. He died on January 2, 1977.

Assistant coach Tom Meschery continued to play at forward, though he too was limited by a medical condition and by his age. In 23 minutes per game, he averaged 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds. Though he was small for his position, the energetic veteran had learned plenty of tricks on defense, and was a valuable teacher to Haywood on the ins and outs of NBA defense.

Spencer Haywood played in 33 games for Seattle, starting in January. Because he was not in NBA shape, and because he was often forced to miss games to go to court, the team did not jell with him. At 6-9 and 215, he played as an undersized center, which he had done in the ABA as well. He averaged 20.6 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Rookie Gar Heard was the Sonics' third round pick, a 6-7, 220 pounder who could play either forward position. He struggled from the field, shooting 38%, but was otherwise promising. In 16 minutes per game, he averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds. In later years he developed into a decent starter, but not for the Sonics.

Dick Snyder averaged 19.4 points per game on an amazing 54% shooting from outside; he also shot 84% from the line. Both percentages ranked 5th highest in the league. Snyder also contributed 3.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest. Normally a guard, he often saw time at forward because of the Sonics' front line problems.

Lenny Wilkens was beginning to show the stress of age and the burden of playing while coaching. He scored only 19.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds. On the positive side, his assists were high (9.2 per game, 2nd highest in the league) and he shot 80% from the line. He missed 11 games due to injury.

Don Kojis, an 8-year veteran, helped solidify the backcourt. The 6-3, 215 pound guard was also capable of playing small forward in a pinch, given his rebounding skills and toughness; this year he averaged 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.

Second-year man Lee Winfield found playing time due to his quickness. In 20 minutes per game the 6-2 guard averaged 10.5 points, 2.4 points, and 2.8 assists.

Barry Clemens, at 6-7, helped at forward as well, averaging 16 minutes per game, 7.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.

Rod Thorn played a few minutes a game as well, but his body would not allow big minutes. He would later become an assistant coach for Wilkens.

The Season

Given the Sonics' lineup troubles, it was surprising to see them improve on the previous year's record. They were an impressive 27-13 at home and a terrible 11-30 on the road (0-1 on neutral courts), ending with a 38-44 record overall. The league had moved to 17 teams given three expansion teams -- Buffalo (now the LA Clippers), Cleveland, and Portland.

Seattle's scoring was good at 115 points per game (5th in the league), and they were 6th in rebounding despite their lineup shuffling. But their defense remained pathetic, as it always had been. They were 15th out of 17 teams in points allowed (117), and gave up a league-highest 46.9% shooting from the field.

Their first-round pick, Jim Ard, bolted to the ABA (probably one reason Schulman wanted to raid the ABA for Haywood). But in a way, it was a blessing. Ard had injury problems and never quite established himself in the ABA. Ard was picked ahead of Geoff Petrie, Calvin Murphy, John Johnson, and Nate Archibald!

As described above, it was a season of streaks. For many of the players it was an empotional roller coaster -- losing good players, hearing promises of a coming superstar, hearing of the court battles and delays, and then seeing him struggle when he did play.

Everyone was glad to have the season behind them. As a 9-year old fan who didn't understand the legal entanglements, I was thrilled that the Sonics had found a new star. Although he hadn't looked that great when I saw him play, I had big hopes for him.

In the next few years, he would show how good he was.