It simply doesn’t get any better than this and I truly mean that! (Left to right) Kirk Bruce, Pitt University star, ABA Utah Stars draft selection, Pittsburgh City League and Connie Hawkins League Hall of Fame; Bobby Byrd, Pittsburgh City League Basketball Legend and Connie Hawkins League Hall of Fame; Ricky “Black Magic” Coleman, Schenley H.S. Legend, Pittsburgh City League Hall of Fame, Connie Hawkins League Hall of Fame, and Boston Celtics draft selection; and Baron “BB” Flenory, Valley H.S./New Kensington Basketball phenom, Duquesne University superstar, draft selection by the Boston Celtics, European Pro League Champion, voted top 100 in PA Basketball History.
Trust me when I tell you that never has a lead title ever been more on point. But I don’t have to tell you, if you were among the 300-plus in attendance, you already know.
For those of you who somehow managed to miss the event of the year, please allow me to get you caught up.
To do that we have to start at the beginning, that hot summer day in June 1974 when Connie Hawkins, Kenny Durrett and Will Graham walked out of the newly reconstructed Homewood YMCA where I was the recently hired program director, by way of Penn Hills and Slippery Rock Uni. Now it’s important to remember I was a football/track man…while I loved the game of basketball, the only thing I knew at the time was that Connie, Ali and Jim Brown were the sports jocks who covered my college dorm walls…and here I now stand with the legend of legends.
There’s a ton more that goes with this, but you’ll have to get it when my book is published (for the last time people, I don’t know when…just stay tuned).
Anyway, that’s when it all started. I asked “The Hawk” if I could name the league after him, and he agreed as long as I promised not to tarnish his name. (There’s a big smile that goes with that, just read the autobiography on “The Hawk” to get caught up.) From that moment on, Connie’s right hand man, Sterling Smith, taught me how to wheel and deal. KD and Graham told me how to set it up…the legendary Mr. Carl Kohlman told me how to manage it, and the great “Due Brown” told me how to run it. And Cle Edwards taught me the game…it was basketball 101, on-the-job-training and in five years we were rated top ten in the nation and the rest, as they say, is history.
Former Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl Champion and current Allegheny County Judge Dwayne Woodruff, seated with his lovely wife, Joy, receives the Achieving Greatness Inc. Sponsorship Award along with 19 other sponsors.
The nationally and internationally recognized Connie Hawkins Pro/Am/NCAA Summer Basketball League was born! And from it came The Willie Stargell Pittsburgh MVP Awards Banquet, The Franco Harris All-Pro Football Camp, The Kenny Durrett High School All-Star Basketball Classic (the longest-running high school all-star game in Western Pennsylvania history, second only to the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic), Toys for Champions, Thanksgiving for Vets, and the now historic Pittsburgh City League High School All Sports Hall of Fame Inductions (just to name a few of the more than 50 programs that were created!).
The legends showed up and showed out. (left) former Duquesne Uni star and NBA L.A. Laker two-time World Champion Norm Nixon; (center) Chuck Cooper, Pittsburgh City League Hall of Famer and son of Mr. Chuck Cooper, the first African American to play in the NBA; (right) Bobby Franklin, Point Park University Hall of Fame and all-time leading scorer, and Connie Hawkins League Hall of Fame.
As you well know, they didn’t come to see me…although don’t get it twisted, I could play…no, they came for three reasons. #1. The Ball. #2. The Fun—and man, it was fun (never called the police in 20 years). #3. The Ladies. That’s right! On average at the Y…East Hills and at Pennly Park, aka Champions Park, 1,000 people a night, three games a night, five nights a week, and the legend began to build with the likes of Connie, KD, Kirk Bruce, John Marshall, Bobby Byrd, Jeff “Junkhead” Burton, Hosea Champine, Jeep Kelly, Ricky Coleman, Sam Clancy, Clyde Vaughan, “Magic Mike,” “Houndini,” “Giss,” “Rockin Ron,” “Lace,” “Duck,” “Coop,” “Scooch,” “E,” “Breeze, “Moon,” “Byrd,” “Bum,” “Chaz,” “Wilson to Wilson,” “Mac,” “Lenny,” “Chicken,” “Dr. K,” “Stu,” “Dr. Hook,” and an endless list of some of the world’s greatest all-time players. And let’s not forget the importance of the legendary Jennifer Bruce lending her name to the first all-women’s league that included great players such as Karen Hall, Margo Hinton, Mary Myers, Carlita Jones, and countless other pre-WNBA players who helped make the league even more special.
Former Pittsburgh City Councilwoman, longtime civic and community leader, and current representative for State Senator Jay Costa, Tawanda Carlisle presents the proclamation from the state senator to Honored Guest Bill Neal for 50 years of dedicated community service.
I realize that if you weren’t there, some of you are asking, OK, what’s the big deal? Of course there was the legendary Ozanam League and The Due Brown League, and the Centre Ave “Y” League, and the great Kinard Summer League, and they were all Kings of the Hill long before the emergence of the Connie Hawkins League…but there was something special going on here, and that something special was the GREAT, GREAT, GREAT CONNIE HAWKINS! Trust me when I tell you. When the Rankin Gangsters played the Cosmic Echoes, there was no one left at home. Everybody was at the Hawkins League!
I am privileged, proud and blessed that some of Pittsburgh’s finest thought me worthy of being recognized and honored for my fifty years of dedicated service.
Pittsburgh City Councilman Khari Mosley served as Co-Chairman and Host for the Anniversary Celebration is joined by Shawn Hawkins, the grandson of the legendary Connie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Shawn is a Pittsburgh City League and Connie Hawkins League Hall of Famer and enjoyed a great career in the European Professional Basketball League.
The effort was spearheaded by Councilman Khari Mosley, Dr. Charlene Coleman, Sharon McIntosh, and the Executive Staff of Achieving Greatness Inc. including Jim Frazier, Warren Wilson, Ivy Tucker, Mike Booker, Daina Hunter, Jeannie Harris, Marlene Scott, Jamie Locicero, Ken and Judy Ogilvie, Bill Boyce, and Debbie Coleman.
Fortunately, the thank yous don’t stop there. Please allow me to continue that effort while I am in that direction. After all, I’m “70″ and I don’t pivot as quick as I used to.
A tremendous thanks goes out to BB Flenory, Vince Lackner, Chanel Smith, Dennis Briggs, Mayor Pauline Calabrese, Brother Melvin El, Ms. Tawanda Carlisle, Jerry Chiappinelli, and Major Mark Whited, without whom this celebration would not have been possible.
Secondly, nothing, and I mean nothing, happens without sponsorship and this spectacular night is no exception. Our very special thanks goes out to Frank Fuhrer III, Senator Jay Costa, Mayor Ed Gainey, UPMC, Councilman Khari Mosley, Ozanam Basketball, Elite Corvettes of Pittsburgh, The Highland Park Tennis Club, Charles Allie, Briggs Transportation Co., Maser Art Galleries, Goodrich & Geist, Goodrich & Associates, Diversified Municipal Services, Judge Jack McVay, and, of course, to all of our contributors and supporters for giving, caring, sharing, and coming to the event!!!
That being said, “The Night Of The Champions” was underway, and oh what a night it was. It all occurred on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Marriott, Downtown. The room was “lit” right out the gate with honored and special guest Norm Nixon. The two-time L.A. Laker World Champion brought his “on court cool” and swag to the party and did not disappoint. The professionalism, the photos, the mix and mingle, and most importantly remembering everyone who wanted to be remembered. Thank you my brother!
Norm flying in from LA. could have been the icing on the cake. But we were also blessed with Jeff Baldwin and wife from Texas, Billy Varner flying in from Spain, Ron Brown and his crew driving up from Virginia, Larry Baxter from Jacksonville, Jerome Flint from Ohio, by way of the legendary Farrell, Pa., basketball program, and of course “Bishop” from Cleveland.
Now don’t get me wrong, logging in those miles matters and it gets them a discount on the next 50-year celebration. But I am not about to forget my shout out to the heart of Pittsburgh and Western Pa. After all, I’ve got to live here.
This is why they call him “Smoking Jim” Frazier, Senior V.P. with Achieving Greatness Inc., former Gateway H.S. and California University football great with host models, Savionne Chanbers and Sindal Taylor.
A thousand thank yous to all of you who helped make me…me! Eddie Jefferies, Coach Matt Furjanic, DJ Shock, Brother Carmack, Bruce Atkins, Chris “Nightmare” Stallworth, Craig Prosser, John Bazari and the crew, Jennifer Bruce, Darrell Porter, Clarence Hopson, Dr. Karen Hall, Kirk Bruce, Bobby Clanagan, Dwight Law and my Donora family, Rodney and Joyce Merritt.
I want to beg your indulgence for one more moment as I extend this very, very special thank you to Steeler Super Bowl Champions Randy Grossman and wife, Judge Dwayne Woodruff and wife, Judge Kim Clark and husband, Olympic Champion Kevin “Freight Train” Parker and wife, and Allegheny County Chief Executive Sara Innamorato.
Attorney Vince Lackner, President of the Lackner Group, former Harvard University and European Pro League player is credited with being one of the original architects of the famed Connie Hawkins Summer Basketball League in its initial beginnings!
I said it before and it bears repeating. I owe my professional career to Connie Hawkins and I’m proud to say I flew with “The Hawk.” And certainly last, but not least, for all of our fallen heroes and legends…Connie Hawkins, Willie Stargell, Franco Harris, Kenny Durrett, Coach Bill Shay, Coach Cle Edwards, and the countless others who gave of themselves to help build and establish our legacy …WE THANK YOU, WE LOVE YOU, WE MISS YOU. CHAMPIONS FOREVER!
About Post Author
