ɐ sˈɪks fˈaɪv" wˈʌn.nˈaɪnti sˈɪks ˈɛm fˈɔːɹwɚd, hˈɔːkɪnz stˈɑːɹd æt ʃᵻkˈɑːɡoʊz pˈɑːɹkɚ nˈaʊ ɹˈoʊbsən hˈaɪ skˈuːl bᵻfˌoːɹ plˈeɪɪŋ æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv nˈɑːɾɚ dˈeɪm, wˌɛɹ hiː bɪkˌeɪm ðə skˈuːlz fˈɜːst ˈæfɹɪkənɐmˈɛɹɪkən bˈæskɪtbˌɔːl stˈɑːɹ.
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.