Anchor: HE WAS AN ALL
AMERICAN.
LIVING WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE
PERFECT LIFE.
MY BASKETBALL WAS PHENOMENAL.
PLAYING WELL.
Anchor: ADDICTION COST HIM
EVERYTHING.
THAT'S WHEN MY LIFE TUMBLED
DOWN.
Anchor: NOW, HE IS TURNING
IT ALL AROUND.
THAT'S RIGHT.
GREAT PLAYER.
AT U OF D.
AND OLYMPIC GOLD WINNER AND NBA
STAR THAT MARRIED A SUPER MODEL.
LIFE COULD NOT BE BETTER FOR
SPENCER HEYWOOD BUT IT GOT
WORSE.
LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD BROUGHT MORE
DOWNS THAN UPS.
Anchor: BUT TODAY HEYWOOD
HAS ALL AMERICAN COME BACK
STORY.
THIS LAST FRIDAY HOMECOMING FOR
SPENCER HEYWOOD AT CALLAHAN
HALL.
PLAYED ONE MEMORABLE SEASON AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT IN 19
68.
19 YEARS OLD.
HAD JUST WON A GOLD MEDAL AT THE
OLYMPICS.
MOST HIGHLY RECRUITED BASKETBALL
PLAYER IN AMERICA.
WHY DID HE END UP PLAYING FOR
TITAS?
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO
ME CAME THROUGH DETROIT.
AND I WANTED TO PLAY HERE.
I TURNED DOWN UCLA.
ALL THE BIG SCHOOLS.
AND CAME HOME.
Anchor: SPENCER WANTED TO
PLAY IN NBA BUT TO PROTECT NCAA
LEAGUE HAD A RULE THAT A PLAYER
COULD NOT PLAY PRO BALL FOR A
PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS AFTER HIGH
SCHOOL.
MANY CONSIDERED THAT RULE
ILLEGAL.
AND SPENCER SIGNED A DEAL WITH
SEATTLE SUPER SONICS.
WHEN I SIGNED THE CONTRACT,
NBA FILED SUIT AGAINST ME.
SAYING HE IS ILLEGAL PLAYER.
Anchor: HE QUICKLY BECAME
THE TARGET OF HARASSMENT IN
EVERY STOP ON SEATTLE'S
SCHEDULE.
EVERY TOWN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE AN
INJUNCTION AGAINST NUMBER 24
SPENCER HEYWOOD ILLEGAL PLAYER.
EVENTUALLY WON THE LAWSUIT
AND U.S. SUPREME COURT.
WHICH MADE A POWERFUL ENEMY OF
THE NBA.
WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
ALL I WAS DOING IS TRYING TO GET
MY MOTHER OUT OF THE COTTON
FIELD FROM PICKING COTTON FOR $2
A DAY.
Anchor: LEGAL STORM PASSED
BUT REAL TROUBLE LOOMED.
SPENCER WAS TRADED TO L.A.
LAKERS, ERA OF SHOWTIME.
NBA SUPERSTAR MARRIED TO SUPER
MODEL.
STORYBOOK LIFE COME TRUE.
BEST TIME I HAD IN
BASKETBALL.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED
HANGING OUT WITH THE HOLLYWOOD
PEOPLE.
AND WANTED TO BE, YOU KNOW,
SOMETHING I WASN'T.
AND I GOT TRIPPED UP WITH
COCAINE.
THAT'S WHEN MY LIFE ITEM BEMED
DOWN.
Anchor: IT WAS DEVASTATING
FOR HIS WIFE TO SEE SPENCER
THROW AWAY HIS CAREER.
FAMILY.
AND HIS LIFE.
TO SEE ALL OF THAT GO DOWN
-THE DRAIN.
YOU KNOW, WITH POWDER.
IT WAS BREAKING HER HEART.
UNFAIR.
Anchor: NOW AT AGE 66,
THOSE DAYS SEEM A LIFETIME AGO.
SPENCER HAS BEEN SOBER FOR 29
YEARS.
HAPPILY MARRIED TO A SECOND WIFE
FOR 25 YEARS.
HE SAID THERE IS NO MAGIC
FORMULA TO SOBRIETY.
IT HAPPENED WITH HARD WORK.
AND A LOT OF FAITH.
I SURRENDERED MY WILL OVER TO
GOD AS I DID WHEN I WAS A KID IN
MISSISSIPPI.
BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE FOOD,
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT WAS WHAT WE HAD WAS GOD.
SO I HAD NO PROBLEM GOING BACK
TO THAT.
Anchor: OVER THE YEARS HE
HAS REMAINED FRIENDS WITH AMAN
AND LATE HUSBAND DAVID BOWIE
THAT JUST RECENTLY PASSED.
DAVID IS AWESOME MAN.
HE LOOKED AFTER MY DAUGHTERS.
SOMETIMES I DIDN'T PAY
ATTENTION.
HE WAS THERE FOR HER AND TOOK
CARE OF MY DAUGHTERS.
SIZE PRAY FOR HER BECAUSE THAT
WAS MY FIRST LOVE, YOU KNOW.
AND.
Anchor: ONE THING BOTHERS
SPENCER SO MANY YOUNG PLAYERS IN
NBA DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS OR
THE PRICE HE PAID TOW OPEN THE
DOORS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
BUT QUICKLY ADDS BITTERNESS WILL
EAT YOU UP.