I'm guilty of calling Michael Jordan the "king of ball fakes and palming the ball." Then I'll come across a video or some pics of the great Connie Hawkins aka The Hawk and be reminded of who really deserves this title. I'll also be reminded of his unappreciated greatness.
"He was Julius before Julius. He was Elgin before Elgin. He was Michael before Michael. He was simply the greatest individual player I have ever seen," said Larry Brown during an episode of ESPN Classic's SportsCentury.
The 6-8, skinny-as-a-rail-high-flyer was also a Rucker Park legend, Harlem Globetrotter, ABA Champion & MVP, and an NBA All-Star, who was robbed of many of his best years due to a late start -- he was banned from the league after being accused of having an involvement in a college point-shaving scandal -- and an early retirement due to injuries that limited his career to just seven seasons in the NBA after the ban was lifted.
Despite the unfair ban and unfortunate injuries, Hawkins' resume and recognition as one of the most talented players ever still took him to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
"He was the first guy on that Dr. J, Michael Jordan level," said Doug Moe in Sports Illustrated magazine. "Long strides. Hold it in one hand. Wheel it around. Nobody could match him for that."
PALMING COMPILATION
The second half of this video contains some amazing footage showcasing the way Hawkins would palm and wave the ball around.
Connie Hawkins very easily could have been included in the GOAT conversation had he not been unjustly excluded from playing college basketball at Iowa and then in the NBA until he was 27 years old. He was robbed of 8-9 years of being able to showcase his remarkable basketball skills on the national stage and yet when he finally prevailed and was able to gain entrance in the NBA, he won the Rookie of the Year Award at the age of 27 and was an NBA All Star in the first 4 years of his NBA career. The NBA players of Connie Hawkins time who previously played with him and then had the opportunity to again to play with Connie once he finally became an NBA player, they all experienced his incredible talents but unfortunately the public only had several years to witness The Hawk as a result of his prior injuries and declining skills since he was already 30-31 within just a few years of entering the league.