Thomas Jerome Hawkins (December 22, 1936 – August 16, 2017) was an American professional basketball player.

A 6'5" (1.96 m) forward, Hawkins starred at Chicago's Parker (now Robeson) High School before playing at the University of Notre Dame, where he became the school's first African-American basketball star.

[1] He was then selected by the Minneapolis (later Los Angeles) Lakers in the first round of the 1959 NBA draft, and he would have a productive ten-year career in the league, playing for the Lakers as well as the Cincinnati Royals as he registered 6,672 career points and 4,607 career rebounds.

[2] Hawkins later worked in radio and television broadcasting in Los Angeles and served as vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

[1] Hawkins died in his home in Malibu, California on August 16, 2017.