Connie Hawkins

Cornelius L. Hawkins ( born July 17, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York ) is a retired American professional basketball player. Between 1967 and 1978 he played in the NBA for the crews of the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks. Previously, he played several years in other U.S. professional leagues. Hawkins is 2,03 m tall and played the position of forward. He is considered the forerunner of Julius Erving and Michael Jordan in terms of spectacular, dunking certain style of play.

Hawkins grew up in New York. There he is still regarded as one of the greatest streetball legends at all. After his high school years at the Brooklyn Boys High, he went to the University of Iowa, where he had to sit the first year due to the prevailing NCAA rules. But before he could play his first game at the college, he has been banned by Jack Molinas because of his (to date unclear ) involvement in the betting scandal. Hawkins left the university and moved to the newly founded ABL to the Pittsburgh Rens, where he was appointed in the first season MVP.

The cash-strapped ABL did not exist long, and so joined Hawkins in 1963 to the Harlem Globetrotters. Until 1966, he played for the show group, then he moved to the newly formed ABA to the Pittsburgh Pipers. These he led in the season 66/67 right off the bat to the championship of the ABA and was incidentally, was elected MVP due to his 26.8 points and 13.5 rebounds per game.

The NBA has long been not an option for Hawkins, because he was due to his involvement in the Molinas - betting scandal in the league undesirable and locked. Finally, it was not until 1970 that the NBA picked the lock of Hawkins. Connie Hawkins moved to the Phoenix Suns. In the NBA, he was no longer the outstanding star, but still he was one of the best players and in 1970 elected as the first Suns player to the All- NBA First Team. After seven years of NBA ended Hawkins, now 33 years old, his career without winning a title.

On 11 May 1992 Connie Hawkins was taken for his career as a power player in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

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