Join Us In Honoring Titan Legend Spencer Haywood

DETROIT (1/21/2015) -- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and Titan great Spencer Haywood will have his number retired on Jan. 29 and that is just one of the honors he will receive that week. 

Prior to the Titans game against Northern Kentucky, Detroit will have a ceremony to retire No. 45 for one of the greatest collegiate players to ever play the game. The festivities will include a private reception in the Titan Club Room from 5:30-6:30 for invited guest only.

The Titan Club Room will then open up at 6:30 for all members. 

The day before the jersey retirement ceremony (Jan. 28), Haywood will be honored by the NBA Retired Players Association (NBRPA), Detroit Chapter at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. A few confirmed guests at the event include former Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, George Gervin, Derrick Coleman, Rick Mahorn, Jalen Rose, Lindsey Hunter and Magic Johnson. 

Fans wishing to go to that event can purchase tickets through the NBRPA by clicking here. Tickets include dinner and program. 

Haywood will be the sixth men's basketball player to have his jersey retired following Bob Calihan, Dave DeBusschere, John Long, Rashad Phillips and Terry Tyler. 

Haywood is a member of the Titan Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September of 2015. He played one season for the Titans, but it is generally considered one of the greatest single-seasons ever in Detroit basketball history as he still ranks first in scoring average (32.1), second in total points (771), rebounds (530) and free throws (195) and tied for second in total field goals (288). 

His school-record 32.1 points and 22.1 rebounds per game during the 1968-69 season was among the nation's best as he led the NCAA in rebounding and was fourth in scoring. 

Before that, he was already a star on the hardwood and led Team USA to a gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico. He led that team with 16.1 points per game and set a USA field goal percentage record of .719.

He went on to a 13-year professional career in the ABA and NBA and scored 17,111 points, while grabbing 8,675 rebounds. During his pro career, he averaged 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. In his first professional season in the ABA with the Denver Rockets, he was tabbed the ABA Rookie of the Year and the ABA MVP during the 1969-70 season and became the youngest ever recipient of the MVP at the age of 21 in leading the team to a division title.
 
In the NBA, he played five seasons for Seattle, averaging 24.9 points per game and 12.1 rebounds per game and was selected to four NBA All-Star games, helping lead 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.