Narrated by Public Enemy's Chuck D, the documentary traverses Haywood's life from his humble beginnings in Mississippi raised by a single mother to his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame. Basketball provided him a way out and in foregoing college to play hoops, he irrevocably changed the rules of how the game was played from the very top echelons of the NBA. As a 20-year old former Olympian, Haywood sue the NBA for the right to turn pro without finishing college. The case went to the Supreme Court and in 1971, the Court's decided in favor of Haywood. Subsequently, the decision abolished the NBA's mandatory draft eligibility requirement of four years of college. The ruling paved the way for today's NBA's superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Garnett to bypass college and play in NBA teams right out of high school.
Acting
Haywood's raw, unfiltered interviews hit harder than any script.
Direction
Chuck D's narration brings revolutionary urgency to legal proceedings.
Director
Martin Spirit
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Haywood's Supreme Court case was decided 7-2, with Thurgood Marshall writing a passionate dissent that actually agreed with the outcome but wanted stronger precedent.
The documentary barely mentions Haywood's cocaine addiction and downfall—arguably sanitizing the full cost of being a trailblazer in a system built to break you.
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