How Come Nobody Has Connie Hawkins In Their Top 5?
5 Grand
Members Posts: 12,869 ✭✭✭✭✭
Connie Hawkins was from NYC. He came up in the 1960s and went to the University of Iowa. There was a point shaving scandal back in NYC and his name came up, as a result he was expelled from college and backlisted from the NCAA. When his class came up in the NBA draft he didn't get picked. He was banned from the NBA for 8 years until he won a lawsuit at age 28. He played for the Phoenix Suns for four years before injuring his knee.
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 Conference, 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.
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVPmeFq0Isk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3UXNVqR9E
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 Conference, 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.
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.
- ABA champion (1968)
- ABA Playoffs MVP (1968)
- ABA MVP (1968)
- 4× NBA All-Star (1970–1973)
- ABA All-Star (1968)
- All-NBA First Team (1970)
- All-ABA First Team (1968–1969)
- ABA All-Time Team
- Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor
- No. 42 retired by Phoenix Suns
- ABL MVP (1962)
- All-ABL First Team (1962)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVPmeFq0Iskhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3UXNVqR9EComments
-
Bcuz ranking players you never seen play ain't what's hot in the Seats.
Even if you were old enough to see him play it says right in your op...Due to knee problems, Hawkins played in the NBA for only seven seasons.
-
Bcuz ranking players you never seen play ain't what's hot in the Seats.
Even if you were old enough to see him play it says right in your op...
I see people ranking Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlian all the time.Due to knee problems, Hawkins played in the NBA for only seven seasons.
Yeah but he was blacklisted out of the league for another 8 seasons.
But if you judge him from 28-32 years old, which is basically anybody's prime, his numbers are equal with Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kobe, Iverson, etc.
But no, I wasn't old enough to see him play but I heard he was a legend. Its a shame what happened to him. -
I see people ranking Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlian all the time.
I have no problems with a person ranking them in a greatest ever list. History shows that they should be ranked. When you start making PERSONAL lists than imo you should have PERSONALLY seen that person play.
Is Hawkins in your top 5? -
I see people ranking Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlian all the time.
I have no problems with a person ranking them in a greatest ever list. History shows that they should be ranked. When you start making PERSONAL lists than imo you should have PERSONALLY seen that person play.
Is Hawkins in your top 5?
No but my older brother has him in HIS top 5
Statistically he was a remarkable player. He was blacklisted for 8 years and started playing at 28 years old. He played as a top tier all-star for four years before his knee injury. He played another three years after that but he wasn't the same due to his knee injury.
He doesn't get talked about much, but that's really an understatement. He's literally forgotten.
If you go back to the thread where people named their top 5 in every position, he didn't get mentioned once.
I think his story needs to be told.
And judging from his statistics, I think he could have played alongside the greats (Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Dr J, etc.) -
He was a junkie. A hop head instead of a hoop head. Go ask yo brother.
-
Your opening post answers this question.
-
Bed Stuy legend. I went to the same High School as Connie Hawkins. I've heard all kinds of stories about him from old dudes at the barbershop.
-
Bcuz most ppl would answer who the ? is Connie Hawkins
-
-
He was a junkie. A hop head instead of a hoop head. Go ask yo brother.
Damn he was on that ? sugar? -
@O.G.BlackAX410 wrote: »
I'm interested in reading your take on this as well because as many people i've spoken to that knew him this is my first time reading about this. -
"How come nobody has Connie Hawkins in their top 5?"
Is he in your top 5?
"No..."
-
Bed Stuy legend. I went to the same High School as Connie Hawkins. I've heard all kinds of stories about him from old dudes at the barbershop.
My pops (who's from NY) talked about him all the time (along with a ton of other cats). He was definitely great, but this thread is dumb. -
yeah man, I'm not surprised about the OG's talking about the "The Hawk." He was well known. There isn't a story I haven't heard when it came to what he did on the court. I played varsity for a year at Boys&Girls High School which is where Connie and Lenny Wilkins played at. I've seen championship trophies they displayed in the hallways. I've seen yearbook pictures and old newspaper clippings from Connie's old high school friends that be at the barbershops.
I don't take no threads in the cheap seats serious. I go to different forums for that which has more traffic and knowledgeable posters. -
Sorry for the late response. I was on the road after i posted this.
@O.G.BlackAX410 wrote: »
I'm interested in reading your take on this as well because as many people i've spoken to that knew him this is my first time reading about this.
The word on the streets out here in L.A. is anytime Hawkins came here to play. His first stop was to go see Tootie Reese. Tootie was the man before Freeway Ricky came and crushed the buildings. Was Hawkins using or selling? I've heard O.G.'s out here tell different stories supporting both. For what it is worth, he never got in trouble with the league or law bcuz of it as far as I know. I've heard all kinds of stories about them 70's Lakers and the players that came out here to play them. -
Sorry for the late response. I was on the road after i posted this.
@O.G.BlackAX410 wrote: »
I'm interested in reading your take on this as well because as many people i've spoken to that knew him this is my first time reading about this.
The word on the streets out here in L.A. is anytime Hawkins came here to play. His first stop was to go see Tootie Reese. Tootie was the man before Freeway Ricky came and crushed the buildings. Was Hawkins using or selling? I've heard O.G.'s out here tell different stories supporting both. For what it is worth, he never got in trouble with the league or law bcuz of it as far as I know. I've heard all kinds of stories about them 70's Lakers and the players that came out here to play them.
wow interesting. Tootie Reese, totally forgot about that guy. -
Inglewood_B wrote: »"How come nobody has Connie Hawkins in their top 5?"
Is he in your top 5?
"No..."
Point being, I've been on Allhiphop.com for several years now and I don't think I've seen his name mentioned once.
