On Oct. 6, 2025, Brooklyn marked eight years since the passing of one of its own — basketball great Connie Hawkins. A Boys High School, Bed-Stuy phenom street ball genius, American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association All-Star, and eventual Hall of Famer, “The Hawk” soared higher than anyone before him. Yet in the borough that raised him, his name is still missing from a park, court or street sign.
Since Hawkins’ death, people from Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Phoenix — the three cities that shaped his life and career — have joined local sports groups to push for a simple honor: name a Bed-Stuy basketball court after him. It should have been easy. Instead, it’s become another uphill fight for a man who spent much of his life battling injustice.
Anyone who knows Hawkins’ story knows he was blackballed from college ball and the NBA for years because of false accusations tied to a point-shaving scandal he had nothing to do with. That lie cost him the prime of his career. Now, another lie is keeping his hometown from recognizing him at St. Andrew’s Playground in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
It started in 2009, at a small block association meeting. The leadership there claimed that the Hawkins family didn’t want his legacy to continue — a claim that was flat-out false. By then, the Connie Hawkins committee had already done its homework. They had the support of the Brooklyn Borough President, the approval of 90% of nearby homeowners, and even a verbal statement from the Brooklyn Parks Commissioner saying Hawkins was “more than deserving” of the honor. More so the Hawkins family gave written proof and spoke with local community leaders about their request.
Three of the four requirements were met. The only thing missing was a fair hearing before Community Board 3. But instead of letting the community weigh in, board leaders sided with the block association and buried the proposal. The democratic process — the idea that neighborhoods should decide together — was silenced.
We’re not giving up. The fight to name those courts after Hawkins continues, and it’s gaining momentum. Over the past few months, former NBA players and New York basketball legends who were inspired by Hawkins have voiced their support. They know what he meant to the game — and to the countless young players who watched him glide across the asphalt at Boys High or dominate the Rucker Tournament.
Hawkins was basketball poetry before the world had a name for it. His hang-time and one-handed dunks paved the way for Dr. J, Michael Jordan, and every high-flyer since. But beyond the highlight reels, his story is one of perseverance — of a man who kept playing, kept believing, and eventually forced the NBA to make things right.
Brooklyn loves to call itself the mecca of basketball. Yet if we can’t find a way to honor Hawkins — one of the greatest ever to emerge from our blacktops of NYC parks — what does that say about how we treat our heroes?
This isn’t just about a sign on a fence or a name on a park map. It’s about truth, justice and remembering who we are as a community. It’s about giving kids in Bed-Stuy a tangible reminder that greatness once walked — and soared — right where they play today.
We’re asking Community Board 3, the Parks Department and city leaders to let this process move forward — and to let the community decide. Connie Hawkins earned that right.
The Hawk lifted a generation. Now it’s time for Brooklyn to lift him.
James Mcdougal is a Brooklyn resident and the president of Concerned Community 4 Change Sports.
