Connie Hawkins: The Hawk Who Soared Despite the Chains
https://thegruelingtruth.com/basketball/nba/connie-hawkins-the-hawk-who-soared-despite-the-chains/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKVIiNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFuZ0RTa1lsdlU2ZEdxeFZZAR76GlzdU8xmqtCDR7Pc0gjAyf85ozZndoHXiZZd6H6UFGY1fxUHVYpTFBDbww_aem_hLJGwMkx8tWskWsgZqKpWA Mike Goodpaster - The Grueling Truth Chief Editor Publish Date: 05/16/2025 Fact checked by: Mark Lewis Connie Hawkins, known as “The Hawk,” was one of basketball’s most transcendent and tragic figures. A playground legend who became an icon in the ABA and a brief but brilliant NBA star, Hawkins’ career was derailed before it began by a scandal he had nothing to do with. This is the story of a man whose potential was stifled by injustice, and who still soared high enough to earn a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Early Life and Rise to Stardom Born on July 17, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, Cornelius “Connie” Hawkins was raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. From an early age, it was clear that Hawkins was no ordinary ath...