Tom Hawkins (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Jerome Hawkins (born December 22, 1936 in Chicago
, Illinois
) is a retired American
professional basketball
player.
A 6'5" (1.96 m) forward, Hawkins starred at Chicago's Parker High School before playing at the University of Notre Dame
, where he became the school's first African American
basketball star. He was then selected by the Minneapolis (later Los Angeles) Lakers
in the first round of the 1959 NBA Draft
, and he would have a productive ten-year career in the league, playing for the Lakers as well as the Cincinnati Royals
as he registered 6,672 career points and 4,607 career rebounds
.
Hawkins later worked in radio broadcasting in Los Angeles and served as vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers
baseball team.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
A 6'5" (1.96 m) forward, Hawkins starred at Chicago's Parker High School before playing at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where he became the school's first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
basketball star. He was then selected by the Minneapolis (later 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 the first round of the 1959 NBA Draft
1959 NBA Draft
The 1959 NBA Draft was the 13th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 31, 1959 before the 1959–60 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse order of...
, and he would have a productive ten-year career in the league, playing for the Lakers as well as the Cincinnati Royals
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
as he registered 6,672 career points and 4,607 career rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
.
Hawkins later worked in radio broadcasting in Los Angeles and served as vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
baseball team.