Connie Hawkins
Encyclopedia
Cornelius L. Hawkins (born July 17, 1942, in Brooklyn
, New York
) is a former National Basketball Association
and American Basketball Association
player, Harlem Globetrotter
and New York City playground legend. It was on the New York City courts that he earned his nickname The Hawk.
. Hawkins soon became a fixture at Rucker Park
, a legendary outdoor court where he battled against some of the best players in the world.
) title in 1959. During his senior year he averaged 25.5 ppg, including one game in which he scored 60, and Boys again went undefeated and won the 1960 PSAL title. Hawkins then signed a scholarship offer to play at the University of Iowa.
- had ever sought to involve Hawkins in the conspiracy.
Despite the fact that Hawkins could not have been involved in point-shaving (as a freshman, due to NCAA rules of the time, he was ineligible to participate in varsity-level athletics), Hawkins was kept from seeking legal counsel while being grilled by New York City Police Department detectives who were investigating the scandal. Hawkins never admitted to any wrongdoing.
— would offer him a scholarship. NBA Commissioner J. Walter Kennedy let it be known that he would not approve any contract for Hawkins to play in the league. At the time, the NBA had a policy barring players who were even slightly rumored to be remotely involved with point-shaving scandals. As a result, when his class was eligible for the draft in 1964, no team selected him. He went undrafted in 1965 as well before being formally banned from the league in 1966.
With the major professional basketball league having effectively blacklisted him, Hawkins played one season for the Pittsburgh Rens
of the American Basketball League
and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. When that league folded, Hawkins spent three years performing with the Harlem Globetrotters
.
During the time Hawkins was traveling with the Globetrotters, he filed a $6 million lawsuit
against the NBA, claiming the league had unfairly banned him from participation and that there was no substantial evidence linking him to gambling activities. Hawkins's lawyers suggested that he participate in the new American Basketball Association
as a way to show that he was talented enough to participate in the NBA.
Hawkins joined the Pittsburgh Pipers in the inaugural 1967-68 season of the American Basketball Association, leading the team to a 54-24 regular-season record and the 1968 ABA championship
. Hawkins led the ABA in scoring that year and won both the ABA's regular-season and playoff MVP
awards.
The Pipers moved to Minnesota for the 1968-69 season, and injuries limited Hawkins to 47 games. Hawkins had surgery on his knee. The Pipers made the playoffs despite injuries to their top four players, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The NBA settled with Hawkins after the 1968-69 season, paying him a cash settlement of nearly $1.3 million, and assigned his rights to the expansion Phoenix Suns
.
, but were knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers
in a great seven-game series in which Hawkins carried the Suns against a team that had future Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain
, Elgin Baylor
and Jerry West
. For the series, Hawkins averaged 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists per game.
Hawkins missed 11 games due to injury during the 1970–71 season, averaging 21 points per game. He matched those stats the next year, and was the top scorer on a per-game basis for the Suns in 1971–72. However, he averaged only 16 points per game for the Suns in 1972–73, and was traded to the Lakers for the season.
Injuries limited his production in 1974–75, and Hawkins finished his career after the 1975–76 season, playing for the Atlanta Hawks
. Hawkins played singer Paul Simon
in a one-on-one match on NBC's Saturday Night Live
in 1975. Hawkins was playing around and Simon won; it was all done in fun.
.
Due to knee problems, Hawkins played in the NBA for only seven seasons. He was an All-Star from 1970–1973 and was named to the All-NBA First Team in the 1969-70 season. His No. 42 jersey was retired by the Suns.
Despite being unable to play in the NBA when he was in his prime, Hawkins's performances in the ABL, ABA and NBA helped get him inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1992.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is a former National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
player, Harlem Globetrotter
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
and New York City playground legend. It was on the New York City courts that he earned his nickname The Hawk.
Early years
Hawkins was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, where he attended Boys High SchoolBoys High School
Boys High School is an historic and architecturally notable public school building in the Bedford–Stuyvesant, neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It is regarded as "one of Brooklyn's finest buildings.-Architecture:...
. Hawkins soon became a fixture at Rucker Park
Rucker Park
Rucker Park is a basketball court in the Harlem neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is located at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard across the street from the former Polo Grounds site...
, a legendary outdoor court where he battled against some of the best players in the world.
High school
Hawkins did not play much until his junior year at Boys High. Hawkins was All-City first team as a junior as Boys went undefeated and won New York's Public Schools Athletic League (PSALPSAL
The Public Schools Athletic League, known by the acronym PSAL, is an organization that promotes student athletics in the public schools of New York City. It was founded in 1903 to provide and maintain a sports program for students enrolled in New York City public schools. The PSAL serves both boys...
) title in 1959. During his senior year he averaged 25.5 ppg, including one game in which he scored 60, and Boys again went undefeated and won the 1960 PSAL title. Hawkins then signed a scholarship offer to play at the University of Iowa.
College and Investigation into Point-shaving
During Hawkins' freshman year at Iowa, he was a victim of the hysteria surrounding a point-shaving scandal that had started in New York City. Hawkins's name surfaced in an interview conducted with an individual who was involved in the scandal. While some of the conspirators and characters involved were known to or knew Hawkins, none - including the New York attorney at the center of the scandal, Jack MolinasJack Molinas
Jacob "Jack" L. Molinas was an American professional basketball player and one of the key figures in the point shaving scandal that almost destroyed NCAA basketball...
- had ever sought to involve Hawkins in the conspiracy.
Despite the fact that Hawkins could not have been involved in point-shaving (as a freshman, due to NCAA rules of the time, he was ineligible to participate in varsity-level athletics), Hawkins was kept from seeking legal counsel while being grilled by New York City Police Department detectives who were investigating the scandal. Hawkins never admitted to any wrongdoing.
Expulsion from Iowa and ABL/ABA years
As a result of the investigation, despite not being charged or arrested, Hawkins was expelled from Iowa. No other college — either in the NCAA or NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
— would offer him a scholarship. NBA Commissioner J. Walter Kennedy let it be known that he would not approve any contract for Hawkins to play in the league. At the time, the NBA had a policy barring players who were even slightly rumored to be remotely involved with point-shaving scandals. As a result, when his class was eligible for the draft in 1964, no team selected him. He went undrafted in 1965 as well before being formally banned from the league in 1966.
With the major professional basketball league having effectively blacklisted him, Hawkins played one season for the Pittsburgh Rens
Pittsburgh Rens
The Pittsburgh Rens were an American basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League. The founder of the ABL, Abe Saperstein, was the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters who had competed for many decades against the New York Rens and eventually...
of the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1961-1963)
The American Basketball League played one full season, 1961-1962, and part of 1962-1963. The league actually folded on December 31, 1962. The ABL was the first basketball league to have a three point shot for baskets scored far away from the goal.-Formation:...
and was named the league's Most Valuable Player. When that league folded, Hawkins spent three years performing with the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
.
During the time Hawkins was traveling with the Globetrotters, he filed a $6 million lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against the NBA, claiming the league had unfairly banned him from participation and that there was no substantial evidence linking him to gambling activities. Hawkins's lawyers suggested that he participate in the new American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
as a way to show that he was talented enough to participate in the NBA.
Hawkins joined the Pittsburgh Pipers in the inaugural 1967-68 season of the American Basketball Association, leading the team to a 54-24 regular-season record and the 1968 ABA championship
1968 ABA Playoffs
The 1968 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the American Basketball Association's inaugural 1967-1968 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Pittsburgh Pipers defeating the Western Division champion New Orleans Buccaneers, four games to three in the...
. Hawkins led the ABA in scoring that year and won both the ABA's regular-season and playoff MVP
ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player
The ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award was an annual American Basketball Association award given in the ABA Playoffs. The award was first awarded in the 1968 ABA Playoffs, and was retired as part of the ABA–NBA merger...
awards.
The Pipers moved to Minnesota for the 1968-69 season, and injuries limited Hawkins to 47 games. Hawkins had surgery on his knee. The Pipers made the playoffs despite injuries to their top four players, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The NBA settled with Hawkins after the 1968-69 season, paying him a cash settlement of nearly $1.3 million, and assigned his rights to the expansion Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
.
NBA career
In 1969, Hawkins hit the ground running in his first season with the Suns, when he played 81 games and averaged 24.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. In the final game of his rookie season, Connie had 44 points, 20 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks and 5 steals. The Suns finished third in the Western ConferenceWestern Conference (NBA)
Below is a list of current Western Conference NBA team rosters.-Western Conference:There are a total of 15 teams in the Western Conference. The current leading team of the Western conference are the Dallas Mavericks....
, but were knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in a great seven-game series in which Hawkins carried the Suns against a team that had future Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
and Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
. For the series, Hawkins averaged 25 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists per game.
Hawkins missed 11 games due to injury during the 1970–71 season, averaging 21 points per game. He matched those stats the next year, and was the top scorer on a per-game basis for the Suns in 1971–72. However, he averaged only 16 points per game for the Suns in 1972–73, and was traded to the Lakers for the season.
Injuries limited his production in 1974–75, and Hawkins finished his career after the 1975–76 season, playing for the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. Hawkins played singer Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
in a one-on-one match on NBC's Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in 1975. Hawkins was playing around and Simon won; it was all done in fun.
Milestones
Connie Hawkins was named to the ABA's All-Time TeamABA's All-Time Team
The ABA All-Time Team were chosen in 1997 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the American Basketball Association to comprise the thirty best and most influential players of the ABA during its ten years and nine full regular seasons of operation, with respect not only...
.
Due to knee problems, Hawkins played in the NBA for only seven seasons. He was an All-Star from 1970–1973 and was named to the All-NBA First Team in the 1969-70 season. His No. 42 jersey was retired by the Suns.
Despite being unable to play in the NBA when he was in his prime, Hawkins's performances in the ABL, ABA and NBA helped get him inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in 1992.