Connie Hawkins, whose death was announced Saturday at age 75, rolled through the Twin Cities for one fleeting season in 1968-69, when he was a member of the Minnesota Pipers of the American Basketball Association.
Limited to 47 games because of injuries and playing in front of sparse crowds at the Met Center in Bloomington, Hawkins averaged 30.2 points and 11.4 rebounds while helping the Pipers make the playoffs despite their losing record (36-42).
He scored 30 points or more in 16 straight games at one point, and had 57 on Nov. 27, 1968, against the New York Nets.
The Pipers moved back whence they came, Pittsburgh, for the 1969-70 season, making Minnesota just a one-year stop.
Hawkins moved on to the NBA.
News services
