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99. Connie Hawkins

We finally move into single digits with Connie Hawkins at number 99. Hawks had the potential to be much higher on this list but decided to play a portion of his prime of his career with the Harlem Globetrotters because he fell victim to a scandal which he had no part in.

Hawkins was a New York City legend when he got an offer to play at Iowa. He never played a varsity game for Iowa because at the time NCAA rules prohibited it. However, during his freshmen year a points shaving scandal erupted which would ruin Hawkins reputation.

Hawkins had no involvement with the scandal at all, because as a freshman he could not participate in varsity athletics due to the NCAA rules. He was brought in for questioning by New York City police and detained for hours without counsel and despite having no knowledge of what happened. After the investigation was concluded it was obvious that Hawkins had no involvement in the scandal at all but the damage had been done. He was kicked out of the University of Iowa and no other school would offer him a scholarship.

NBA commissioner J. Walter Kennedy sent a memo to every NBA team saying that Hawkins was not to be signed because the NBA banned anyone remotely associated with points shaving. This forced Hawkins to look for other opportunities to play basketball. He eventually decided on the Pittsburgh Rens of the ABL.

He played only one season with the Rens winning league MVP before the team and league folded. He than joined the Harlem Globetrotters where he played for three seasons. During this time he filed a lawsuit against the NBA saying he was unfairly banned.

In 1967 the American Basketball Association was founded and Hawkins soon joined that league. Hawkins joined the Pittsburgh Pipers and quickly became their best player leading them to the 1968 ABA Championship and winning regular season and post-season MVP. The team relocated the following season to Minnesota but Hawkins say limited action due to injuries.

The NBA eventual reconciled with Hawkins giving him an undisclosed amount of cash and assigning him to the expansion Phoenix Suns. Hawkins firs three years with the Suns were fantastic as he averaged over 20 points a game each year and kept the upstart Suns competitive. He was also a four time all-star with the Suns.

Hawkins began to decline with age and in 1973 after five and a half seasons with the Suns he was traded to the Lakers. He became a solid role player for a season and a half with the Lakers before joining the Hawks for his last NBA season in 1975-76.

Hawkins finished his career as one of the all-time greats entering the hall of fame in 1992 and being named on the all-time ABA team. In 117 career ABA games he averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds in 419 career NBA games he averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds. In a total of 616 combined ABA and NBA games he averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds.













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