1964 NBA draft

Walt Hazzard and George Wilson were selected as Los Angeles Lakers' and Cincinnati Royals' territorial picks before the draft respectively.

Willis Reed from Grambling College, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks.

[8] Paul Silas, the 10th pick, won three NBA championships, two with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976 and one with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979.

While a successful player overall, Hawkins during his freshman year at the University of Iowa back in 1961 was involved with a point shaving scandal.

Despite never being convicted of point shaving (with the only involvement being him borrowing $200 by Jack Molinas for school expenses, which he paid back to Jack's brother, Fred Molinas, before the scandal broke out), he was officially kicked out of the team before having a chance to play due to NCAA rules and regulations at the time.

Hawkins would later play with the Pittsburgh Rens of the rivaling American Basketball League and the independent Harlem Globetrotters before officially being undrafted in 1964.

However, Hawkins would sue the NBA for $6 million in damages to his reputation, saying the league banned him unfairly and that they had no substantial evidence linking him to the point shaving scandal of that time.

Eventually, the league settled with Hawkins by paying him a settlement of $1.3 million and assigning him to the Phoenix Suns in 1969, effectively removing his permanent ban.

While he would only play in the NBA for seven seasons afterwards, his number would be retired by the Suns on November 19, 1976, before being in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.