Cornelius (Connie) L. Hawkins  was born July 17, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York and is a former National Basketball Association and American Baseball Association player, and New York City playground legend. It was on the New York City courts that he earned his nickname The Hawk. Connie Hawkins hit the ground running in his first season with the Suns, 1969-70, where he played 81 games, and averaged 24.6 points per game,10.4 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game. In the final game of his rookie season, Connie had 44 points, 20 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals. The Suns finished third in the Western Conference, and were knocked out by the Los Angeles Lakers in a great seven-game series, in which Connie Hawkins carried the Suns against a team that had Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West. Connie Hawkins averaged 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. Hawkins  was named to the ABA's All-Time Team. Hawkins played in four NBA All-Star Games and was named to the All-NBA First Team in the 1969-70 season. His No. 42 jersey was retired by the Suns. Besides being a playground legend, Hawkins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. Connie Hawkins is truly a face of Brooklyn