Hawkins making strong case for PBA greatest list

During his prime, Rene “Bong” Hawkins wasn’t considered as a typical Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) superstar.

He wasn’t as powerful as Alvin Patrimonio or Benjie Paras or as high-leaping as Noli Locsin or Nelson Asaytono, but there was something that made him deserving to be part of the league’s elite list.

He was a winner.

Now 57, Hawkins is making a strong bid to become part of the 50 Greatest Players that the PBA will name when it holds its Golden Anniversary Celebration on 9 April at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Leading the special panel tasked to deliberate those who will be added to the latest batch of “greats” are former PBA commissioner Reunald “Sonny” Barrios, four-time PBA Most Valuable Player Ramon Fernandez (MVP), 1979 MVP Fortunato “Atoy” Co, five-time champion coach Dante Silverio, basketball analysts Joaquin Henson and Andy Jao and sportswriters Ding Marcelo, Al Mendoza and Nelson Beltran.

Hawkins is among those who are often being mentioned to be deserving of a spot in the “greatest” list for playing a crucial role in the great Alaska dynasty that bagged seven PBA titles, including a rare grand slam in 1996.

In fact, his case was so strong that his former Alaska coach — Tim Cone — admitted that he was “heartbroken” when he learned that Hawkins was snubbed when the league named its 40 Greatest Players in 2015.

Hawkins had always been an underdog during his PBA career.

Although he was the second overall pick of Presto Tivoli in 1991, he patiently paid his dues while playing behind veterans like Abe King, Padim Israel and Cadel Mosqueda until a new team in Sta. Lucia Realty acquired him in 1993.

But he realized his full potential when the Realtors traded him to Alaska in exchange for Bong Alvarez at the start of the 1993 Commissioner’s Cup. He eventually became the Milkmen’s leading scorer and rebounder and emerged as the league’s Most Improved Player in 1994, paving the way for him to blend perfectly well with Jojo Lastimosa, Johnny Abarrientos, Poch Juinio and import Sean Chambers in the starting roster and Jeffrey Cariaso coming off the bench.

Their chemistry worked like magic with Hawkins playing the role of a stretch power forward who can spot the open men from the high post in Cone’s vaunted Triangle Offense, leading to seven PBA titles.

But in 2001 — five years after their magical run that made them only the second PBA team to achieve a grand slam — Hawkins was traded to Tanduay in exchange for draft picks. The transaction was part of the aftermath of the collapse of Alaska’s grand slam squad with Jeffresy Cariaso moving to Mobiline and Abarrientos, Juinio and Lastimosa joining Pop Cola.

Two years later, Hawkins was reunited with Abarrientos, Cariaso and Junio following his move to Coca-Cola, where he won another title.

He wrapped up his stellar 15-year career with Alaska and eventually joined Cone at the bench in which the franchise retired his jersey No. 16.

All in all, Hawkins had a star-studded career with a Finals Most Valuable Player crown in the Commissioner’s Cup in 1996, Mythical First Team selections in 1995 and 1996, Mythical Second Team selections in 1994 and 2000 and All-Defensive Team inclusion in 1994 with career averages of 14 points and seven rebounds.

Unfortunately, those achievements were not enough for the player known as “The Hawk” during his prime to land in the list of 40 Greatest Players 10 years ago.

He’s hoping that this time, it will be a different story.