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Former Laker and local broadcaster Tommy Hawkins dies at 80

Related Topics: Tom Hawkins, Los Angeles Lakers

It was the spring of 1985, and the Lakers stood one victory away from avenging a painful history of playoff losses to the Boston Celtics.

Watching on television from home, the long-retired Tommy Hawkins — who had played for the Lakers when they moved from Minneapolis to Los Angeles — couldn’t help digging through his closet, searching for his old uniform.

That was how Hawkins spent the final game of the NBA Finals that year, wearing a jersey and shorts, jumping up and down in his living room as his former team won the title at Boston Garden.