NB70s: "Sweet" Lou Hudson

In 1969–1970, Hudson averaged 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists with 53% shooting, making his second NBA All-Star Team. The Hawks finished 48-34, winning the Western Division. The Hawks defeated the Chicago Bulls 4-1 in the Western Division playoffs, before losing 4-0 to the Lakers in the Western Division Finals. Hudson averaged 26.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the Bulls series win. Against the Lakers, with Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor, Hudson averaged 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists. Hudson scored a career high (and franchise record) 57 points against the Chicago Bulls on November 10, 1969 in a 133-132 Hawks victory. Hudson was an All-Star, averaging 26.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Hawks in 1970-1971, while playing in the back court with newly drafted Pete Maravich (23.2 ppg) and alongside Walt Bellamy. The Hawks were defeated by the New York Knicks 4-1 in the Eastern Conference playoffs, despite Hudson averaging 25.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the series. For the Atlanta Hawks in 1971-1972, Hudson continued his All-Star level play, averaging 24.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 points with 50% shooting, making his fourth consecutive All-Star team. The Hawks were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern conference playoffs 4-2, as Hudson averaged 25.0 pints 5.5 assists and 3.5 assists in the series. In 1972–1973 Cotton Fitzsimmons replaced longtime Hawks coach Richie Guerin, who had moved up to General Manager. Hudson averaged a career high 27.1 points, along with 6.2 rebounds and 3,2 assists, playing alongside Maravich in the back-court with his averages of 26.1 points 4.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists. Finishing 46-36, Atlanta was again defeated by Boston in the Eastern Conference playoffs 4-2. Hudson was outstanding in the series, averaging 29.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists. With Maravich scoring 2,063 points, he combined with Hudson's 2,029 points, to become only the second set of teammates in NBA history to each score over 2,000 points in a single season. Elgin Baylor and Jerry West first accomplished the feat for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1964–65. Hudson averaged 25.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 steals in 1973-1974, as the Hawks faltered to 37-47 and missed the playoffs. Hudson missed 17 games due to injury and made his sixth consecutive All-Star Team. In 1974–1975, injuries limited Hudson to 11 games, in which he averaged 22.0 4.3 and 3.6 assists at age 30. Atlanta had traded Maravich and finished 31–51. In his final two seasons in Atlanta, Hudson averaged 17.0 and 16.7 points, playing a few less minutes per game. Atlanta missed the playoffs both seasons. On September 30, 1977, Hudson was traded by the Atlanta Hawks to the Los Angeles Lakers for Ollie Johnson. Over his final two seasons, with the Lakers, Hudson averaged 11.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists, playing under Coach Jerry West and alongside Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley and Jamaal Wilkes, as well as Norm Nixon, Ron Boone and a young Michael Cooper. Hudson averaged 13.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 1977-1978, as the Lakers finished 45-37 and lost to Seattle 2-1 in the Western Conference playoffs. In his final season, 1978-1979, Hudson averaged 9.8 points and the Lakers lost to eventual 1979 NBA Champion Seattle 4-1 in the Western Conference Semis, after defeating the Denver Nuggets 2-1 in the previous series.