One-on-One with The Hawk
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Posted: March 21, 2003
With 7,500 Connie Hawkins Bobbleheads to be distributed before the Suns-Sonics' Hardwood Classic in Phoenix on Monday, Suns.com hosted the Hall of Famer himself for a live online chat on Friday night.
A New York City playground legend and a member of the ABA Champion Pittsburgh Pipers in 1967, the Hawk swooped into Phoenix via a coin flip with Seattle in '69, giving the Suns' the rights to the high-flying forward.
Hawkins averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 boards and 4.3 assists a game during his four-plus seasons in the Valley and carried the Suns to their first-ever playoff appearance in 1970, extending the Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West-led Lakers to seven games.
The Suns' first superstar had his No. 42 retired on Nov. 19, 1976 and is still a member of the Phoenix family, serving as a community relations representative.
The Hawk, who paved the way for the likes of Dr. J and Michael Jordan, chatted with fans during the first half of the Suns-Wizards game, logging on from the press box at America West Arena. The following is a transcript from that Q&A session.
Moderator: (10:40 PM ET ) The Suns and Wizards have just tipped off. The Hawk will be joining us shortly. Please stay tuned.
Jess (Gilbert): What do you think of your bobblehead? Do you think it looks like you?
Connie Hawkins: (10:54 PM ET ) Dick Van Arsdale [sitting with Hawk in the press box] is telling me it looks like Samuel L. Jackson, but I like it a lot. Other than the afro, which looks like a Jheri Curl. Everything else is fine.
Seth (Fort Wayne): Do you think the Suns have a chance to go to the playoffs this year?
Connie Hawkins: (10:55 PM ET ) It's going to be a log jam, but if they keep playing well and can play some defense, and grab some rebounds, I think we've got a real good shot.
Nicholas Rodgers(Phoenix): Bo Outlaw easily has the most hustle out of any player in the NBA. Do you think that he deserves the Dan Majerle Hustle Award this year?
Connie Hawkins: (10:56 PM ET ) For this team he's probably the only candidate. I don't think there's anyone else on the team that matches one third of the enthusiasm and hustle he displays. He's a one-man press all by himself.
Coop from Chicago: My Grandpa used to tell me stories about you and Wilt Chamberlain and the Rucker tournament. Can you tell me some of the stories with Wilt?
Connie Hawkins: (11:00 PM ET ) I have a million of them. We played a game against Wilt. Me being from Brooklyn. We had a guy by the name of Jackie Jackson on our team that later on played for the Globetrotters, and they had Wilt, Cal Ramsey, who played for the Knicks and Tom Sanders, who played for the Celtics. We played in this game at the Rucker tournament and the game got real close. Wilt used to shoot this fadeaway jump shot and we decided that we were going to make him shoot it and Jackie would come from the weak side and block it. We set it up and it happened just the way we planned it, and when he shot the ball, Jackie came from the weak side and blocked it way up high on the backboard. The crowd went crazy. Back then there were no high-fives, so everyone was giving low-fives, I guess. I looked over at Wilt and he was staring at me. I didn't like the look in his eye because I'd seen it before. They called a timeout and Wilt never took his eyes off me during the timeout. When they came out on the court, Wilt made 12 dunks in a row, and I mean unbelievable dunks. We got mad at Jackie for doing that stupid move (laughs). That's when I learned you should let sleeping dogs stay asleep.
Bill in Phoenix: Did you use to play for a team sponsored by Tuck Tape?
Connie Hawkins: (11:01 PM ET ) I played in the ABL and a guy by the name of Paul Corn owned Tuck Tape. He had three teams and Abe Saperstein of the Globetrotters owned the other three teams. I played for the team called the Pittsburgh Rens. That was my first year palying professional basketball and the thing I noticed was that it was real physical. It was my first year out of college. They guys were VERY physical.
Christopher (Boston): Do you think the Suns should let Penny Hardaway take more of a scoring load, because if given the chance I know he believes, and I believe that he can dominate scoring the ball.
Connie Hawkins: (11:04 PM ET ) For me, I think he's a better player as a role player, because Stephon is such a scorer. Penny is so smart, he can do other things to help out the team. He's not even close to his capabilities right now. Before he got hurt earlier this year, he was playing like an All-Star. If you're not a real student of the game, you don't understand how good he is, because he makes the game look easy.
Eric Phoenix: How is the game going?
Connie Hawkins: (11:04 PM ET ) I haven't been able to concentrate because I've been answering questions (laughs). We're up by nine, though, so we're doing pretty good.
Matt Saliba Glendale: Sup Hawk? When was ur first slam dunk?
Connie Hawkins: (11:06 PM ET ) I was in public school. I used to practice all the time and I made my public school team in the seventh grade. You were supposed to be in eighth grade to make the team, but I made it in the seventh. I told the guys I could dunk while in the layup line and they wanted to see it, so I went ahead and dunked. They were shocked.
Karl (Phoenix): Connie, since you played in a time when players weren't immortalized in video games, how do you feel about being in the new NBA Street, Vol. 2 game?
Connie Hawkins: (11:08 PM ET ) I'm excited about it. Most of the guys that I know that are in the games are guys from the modern era. So for me to be in the games and have current guys see me in the game is important to me. I haven't played it myself, but I've seen the advertising for it. Someone told me I've got some real good moves in it.
Jared(peoria): With Steph, Shawn and Amare -- Do you think they can bring a championship to PHX or do they need to add another key component?
Connie Hawkins: (11:09 PM ET ) You know what? In our division, if you don't have a dominant center, it's going to be tough to nuetralize the other teams. You need a big dominant center in this division. They could also use a couple more pieces like a pure shooter, a real good rebounder. You've got to have the total package to get that championship.
Stephanie ( Scottsdale ): If you were to pick the MVP who would you pick and why?
Connie Hawkins: (11:11 PM ET ) It would be kind of tough. There are a lot of great guys having good seasons, but I guess for me the guy who is standing out more than anyone else would be the "Big Ticket," Kevin Garnett. The thing I like about him is that he's playing the total game. Aside from all the energy that he has, he's passing the ball well, dribbling, playing defense, making his teammates better. He's playing like an MVP.
Dave: I dont know if you remember but in 1995 you went to a little town named Globe and i just wanted you to know you signed a basketball for me and my father who was dying got a lot of pleasure out of it. Thank you for being in our little town.
Connie Hawkins: (11:11 PM ET ) You're welcome. Thank you very much for your kind words.
Lucy (Phoenix): How good do you think Amare Stoudemire could become? Do you talk to him and give him advice, tips?
Connie Hawkins: (11:13 PM ET ) I'm going to stay away from him to make sure he continues to grow (laughs). He's got great coaches to help him with his game and I think the sky's the limit for him. He could probably be one of the greatest power forwards to ever play the game. He just has to keep working hard. You have to be totally dedicated, so it's really up to him.
John, Phoenix: Who is your all-time favorite Suns player?
Connie Hawkins: (11:14 PM ET ) All-time favorite? That's a good question. There are so many. I've never been asked that before. Probably me, I guess (laughs). No, probably Paul Silas, who played with me. He helped a lot when I played and he taught me a lot about the game of basketball and life.
Lee (Phx): Any chance we're going to see [your book] 'Foul' made into a movie in the near future? I anticipated 'Hurricane' by 23 years or so and am confident your story would make an even more compelling film. 'Foul' was the first of many sports novels I've read and I've been a huge fan since '69. You are my all-time favorite Suns player. Imagine my delight to find a full wall devoted to you right outside my season ticket section (223)!
Connie Hawkins: (11:15 PM ET ) Yes, as a matter of fact, Steven Spielberg, the guy who owns DreamWorks, his company has it and has it on the shelf now. They're trying to find the right screenplay. The last time we talked, I think they had one more year on the option and if they don't do something with it before then, someone else can probably do something with it. But my lawyer's in charge of that.
Steve B. Tunkhannock,Pa.: Connie:I became a Suns fan because of you. Is there any place I can still get "Foul"?
Connie Hawkins: (11:17 PM ET ) I think if you go online and get in touch with Barnes & Noble you can find it. People ask me about it a lot. The thing that surprises me is it came out in '72 and this is 2003, and people are still asking about it. They've talked about getting it printed again, but I don't know if that's possible.
Bill, Gilbert: What do you think of Shawn Marion's game and what was it like for you to see him wearing your old uniform [on the Suns' pre-game TV show]?
Connie Hawkins: (11:18 PM ET ) I think Shawn is going to be one of the best small forwards in the league. He's improving. He's improved his shot, he's playing defense. I love the way he's playing now. What I need to do is get all the players on my team to wear my jersey. Then I'll be happy (laughs).
Jr. (Phoenix): Hi Connie, I am very excited to be talking to you tonight. You were my Michael Jordan from '69-74. You inspire me to play a different kind of game and I had so much fun as a kid playing ball and taping my fingers like you did. I have several suns scrapbooks of the Suns from that time with the majority of the newspaper clippings pics of you. I have tickets to the game on 03/24 and heard you were gonna be signing autographs at the Team Shop. I have a plaque of you "swooping" under Wilt. It would be so great to have you sign it. It's been fun talking to you Connie. Take care. Jr.
Connie Hawkins: (11:20 PM ET ) I can't wait for you to get here and buy my jersey (laughs). Then I'll autograph that for you, too. I'm very excited about Monday night. Hopefully it will be a lot of fun for the fans and I'm sure it will be a lot of fun for the players. Hopefully we get a victory (over Seattle). That's the most important thing.
Mark Miiller, Glendale (AZ): Mr. Hawkins, do you believe that Lebron James will be an asset to whatever team he playes for next year?
Connie Hawkins: (11:21 PM ET ) I watched some of his highlights. He's a fantastic player and I think he's going to live up to the hype. Most players that come out don't live up to their hype. I think he will. Basketball hasn't changed through the years. It's very simple. You pass, you dribble and you shoot. The better you are at those skills the better you are as a player and he does all of those very well.
Tony C. (Phoenix): Hey Hawk. Hows it going? If you were able to go back in time, in the NBA, wich Legend would you most want to play and why? Thanks Hawk.
Connie Hawkins: (11:23 PM ET ) Well, the year I came into the league, Bill Russell retired and I always tell people that he retired because I came into the league. I would probably like to play against him. I have no idea how that would go. It would probably be scary for me, since he was on that team that won 11 championships. But I would've relished the opportunity to see what I could've done.
Mike and Tyler from Scottsdale: What is your most memorable moment as a Sun?
Connie Hawkins: (11:24 PM ET ) I think probably the game we played against the San Diego Rockets and we needed that game to make the playoffs. I think I had 40-something points and 24 rebounds. It was pretty big stats. I was totally exhausted after the game. I'd spent my last bit of energy and almost passed out after the game. I probably had better all around games, but that's the one that sticks out because of how important it was. Plus, I think Jerry (Colangelo) was coaching.
James (Tempe): Who do you have in the final four and to win it all?
Connie Hawkins: (11:25 PM ET ) Well, really everybody's picking Oklahoma. I like them. I like U of A and I like Kentucky. Who is my fourth team? I'll go with a dark horse, the Zags, Gonzaga. Hopefully U of A comes through.
Connie Hawkins: (11:27 PM ET ) Well, I'm going to go watch the rest of the game. Thanks for logging on and sending in questions. Oh, and if you get a chance to buy my jersey, you can get it at the Team Shop. I want to see everyone in the country wearing my jersey (laughs).
