Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
Connie Hawkins was a groundbreaking talent whose creativity, athleticism, and flair with the ball were years ahead of his time. Despite obstacles that delayed his NBA career, he became a star wherever he played and remains one of the most influential figures in basketball history.
Here’s detailed information about him:
Player Profile
Personal Information:
- Full Name: Cornelius Lance Hawkins
- Nationality: American
- Date of Birth: July 17, 1942
- Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Date of Death: October 6, 2017 (aged 75)
- Height: 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters)
- Weight: 210 pounds (95 kilograms)
- Wingspan: 7 feet 0 inches
- Shoe Size: Size 16 (US)
- Jersey Numbers: 42, 21, 44, 33
- Position: Forward
Educational and Athletic Background:
- High School: Boys High School, Brooklyn, New York
- College:
- Briefly attended the University of Iowa but did not complete his collegiate career due to involvement in a point-shaving scandal, which was later proven to be baseless.
Professional Career:
- NBA Draft: Was not drafted into the NBA due to initial league restrictions but later joined as a result of legal action.
- Teams Played For:
- ABL (American Basketball League): Pittsburgh Rens (1961–1962)
- Harlem Globetrotters: (1963–1967)
- ABA (American Basketball Association): Pittsburgh Pipers (1967–1968)
- NBA:
- Phoenix Suns (1969–1973)
- Los Angeles Lakers (1973–1974)
- Atlanta Hawks (1974–1976)
- Championship Rings: None (though he won the ABA Championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968).
Legacy and Achievements:
- Notable Achievements:
- ABA Champion (1968)
- NBA All-Star (1970–1973)
- All-NBA First Team (1970)
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1992).
Personal Life:
- Children: Hawkins had four children.
- Siblings: Information about siblings is not publicly available.
Player Archetype / Play Style
Connie Hawkins’ player archetype was that of a do-it-all point forward before the term really existed, a dazzling wing-sized creator who could score, handle, pass and rebound with uncommon freedom and flair. Defensively, he was an instinctive playmaker rather than a pure bruiser, using his length, anticipation and mobility to disrupt actions, help off assignments and turn loose plays into transition chances. Offensively, Hawkins operated as a primary initiator and shot creator, capable of attacking off the dribble, finishing above the rim, creating from the mid-post and finding teammates with imaginative passing that made him far more than a volume scorer. Physically, he stood out for his long frame, huge hands, smooth coordination and elastic athleticism, traits that helped make his above-the-rim style feel years ahead of its time. Altogether, his play style was flashy but deeply functional: a creative, high-skill forward who blended playground imagination with genuine star-level production and helped foreshadow the modern oversized offensive hub. (NBA)
Scouting Report
Connie Hawkins played as though every possession had room for one more move that nobody else on the floor had considered. The first thing you notice is how effortlessly he blended creativity with control. He could bring the ball up like a guard, flow into a high pick-and-roll, then suddenly turn his shoulders and attack the rim with those impossibly long strides and giant hands keeping the ball far from defenders. Help rotations rarely arrived cleanly because Hawkins had an uncanny feel for delaying his decision until the last possible moment, hanging in the air long enough to finish from awkward angles or slipping the ball to a cutter once the low man finally committed. That blend of patience and improvisation made him exceptionally difficult to scheme against. He wasn’t interested in running rehearsed offense if he saw a better option developing in real time. Defensively, Hawkins used his reach and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes before they opened, often baiting opponents into thinking a window existed before stretching into it with remarkable timing. He rebounded aggressively and immediately turned those boards into transition opportunities, eliminating the need for an outlet pass because he was already pushing the break himself. The trade-off was that his imagination occasionally encouraged ambitious plays that carried more risk than coaches would have preferred, and his jumper, while capable, wasn’t the defining weapon that forced defenders to crowd him well beyond the arc. His influence came from constant pressure on the paint and the chaos he created once help defenders started rotating. To me, Hawkins was ideally suited to an offense built on freedom, pace and decision-making rather than rigid structure, surrounded by finishers and shooters who could capitalize on the defensive attention he naturally attracted. His game foreshadowed elements of Julius Erving in the sweeping drives and above-the-rim creativity, while there were also flashes of Lamar Odom in the unusual combination of size, ball-handling and playmaking that allowed him to initiate offense from almost anywhere on the floor without looking like a conventional forward.
Sources:
Britannica — Connie Hawkins | Basketball Hall of Famer, Phoenix Suns Superstar
NBA — Legends profile: Connie Hawkins
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Connie Hawkins