DETROIT (7/11/2016) -- From July 4-15, DetroitTitans.com will release the Top 10 Moments of 2015-16 as voted on by members of the Detroit Mercy athletic staff. Each day, a new moment will be posted on DetroitTitans.com as well as on all the Titan social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
At No. 5 are two unbelievable moments in an athlete's life as Spencer Haywood was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September and then had his No. 45 officially retired and hung from the rafters in Calihan Hall in January.
He is just the second Titan student-athlete to be inducted into the prestigious Hall-of-Fame, joining Dave DeBusschere, who was inducted into the hall in 1983. Former head coach and Athletic Director Dick Vitale is also in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Haywood was also the sixth men's basketball player to have his jersey retired following Bob Calihan, Dave DeBusschere, John Long, Rashad Phillips and Terry Tyler.
Haywood spent one year with the Titans, but it is considered one of the best in school history as he tallied a school-record 32.1 points and 22.1 rebounds per game during the 1968-69 season. The 32.1 points was fourth in the nation behind only hardwood icons Pistol Pete Maravich, Rick Mount and Calvin Murphy, while his 22.1 rebounds led the NCAA, the only Titan to ever top the nation in a statistical category.
In his first game as a Titan, he scored 36 points in a 65-point Detroit victory over Aquinas that didn't even go the regulation time. With Detroit leading 103-40, Haywood went up for a dunk and when he was done, so was the backboard as the glass shattered causing a delay with 6 1/2 minutes left. Since the arena did not have a capable back-up basket and with the Titans already leading by 65 points, the officials called the game.
After a stellar career in high school, he began his collegiate career at Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colorado, before making the 1968 Olympic Team. He would go on to lead USA to a gold medal, topping the squad with 16.1 points per game and setting a USA field goal percentage record of .719.
Haywood moved onto the ABA and NBA where he was drafted in the second round of the ABA Draft by the Buffalo Braves, before he was traded to the then Denver Rockets. In his only season with Denver, Haywood led the ABA with 30.0 points and 19.5 rebounds per game. He was named both the ABA Rookie of the Year and ABA MVP during the 1969-70 season, and became the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at the age of 21 as he led the team to a division title.
He would go on to play in the NBA suiting up with Seattle for five seasons and averaging 24.9 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game. He was selected to four NBA All-Star games with Seattle and led the team to their first playoff berth in 1975.
Haywood later played for the New Orleans Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Bullets, earning a championship ring with the Lakers during the 1979–80 season. In 13 professional seasons, he tallied 17,111 points, while grabbing 8,675 rebounds. During his pro career, he averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
No. 10 -
Olympic Hopefuls, Cashner, Parris Enjoy Record-Breaking Seasons
No. 9 -
Detroit Mercy Gives Back To The Community
No. 8 -
McGahuey Takes Over As Detroit Mercy Home Run Queen
No. 7 -
Freshmen Phenoms Take Center Stage In 2015-16
No. 6 -
Never Count Out The Women's Basketball Team
No. 5 - Haywood Honored As One Of The Best In NBA, Titan History
