ABA honors Connie Hawkins with division name
Published on May 16, 2005 under American Basketball Association (ABA) News Release
Indianapolis, IN. The American Basketball Association (ABA) today announced that one of its divisions would be named after ABA/NBA Hall of Fame player Connie Hawkins. Praised by his contemporaries as perhaps the most talented forward ever to play the game (this was before Julius Erving and Larry Bird), the 6'8" Hawkins was known as one of the first players capable of swooping, soaring flights to the hoop, followed by acrobatic, throw-down dunks. Hawkins played 70 games for the Pittsburgh Pipers in the inaugural 1967-68 ABA season - and became the foremost star of the new league as he led the Pipers into the playoffs and won the ABA Championship. Connie led the league in scoring and was named the Most Valuable Player and joined the ABA All-Star Team with Doug Moe, Mel Daniels, Larry Jones and Charlie Williams..
The team then moved to Minnesota and Hawkins was again named to the All-Star Team with a 30.2 scoring average. In a surprise, the team moved back to Pittsburgh, changed its name to the Condors and Hawkins averaged 28.2 points in two seasons there. He was an awesome offensive force in one-on-one situations, a shot creator who was quick and a great leaper. In 1969, he moved onto the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and was named an NBA All-Star with Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Jerry West and Billy Cunningham. His election to the Hall of Fame was due in large part to his showmanship. He was the first player to demonstrate the style, flash and cook that were trademarks of later players such as Julius Erving and Michael Jordan. According to Freddie Lewis, former Indiana Pacer guard, "You really had to see Connie play to appreciate him. He was doing things that hadn't been done before and helped set a whole new style of play that changed the shape of basketball and made it the game it is today." Five divisions have been named thus far, including Freddie Lewis, Marvin Barnes, Roger Brown, Spencer Haywood and Connie Hawkins - and there are more to come. For more information, visit www.abalive.com.
Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.
American Basketball Association Stories from May 16, 2005
- Charlotte team to combine sports and entertainment - ABA
- ABA to play in Tacoma next season - Tacoma Navigators
- Media blitz follows ABA's Gallup announcements - Gallup Outlaws
- ABA honors Connie Hawkins with division name - ABA
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