Hawks great Lou Hudson has been hospitalized in Atlanta after suffering a stroke.
The condition of the former NBA star was described as grave. The 69-year-old Hudson also suffered a stroke in February 2005.
Garin Narain, the Hawks’ vice president of communications, confirmed that Hudson suffered a stroke. The organization had no further comment.
Hudson is one of three Hawks to have his number retired. His No. 23 is joined by Bob Pettit’s No. 9 and Dominique Wilkins’ No. 21.
“This has bothered me all day,” Wilkins told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “I am very close to Lou. He is a special guy in the landscape of Atlanta.”
Hudson, known as “Sweet Lou,” was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the first round (No. 4 overall) of the 1966 draft. He also had his No. 14 retired by the University of Minnesota.
Hudson played 11 of his 13 NBA seasons for the Hawks. He was a six-time All-Star and spent his last two seasons with the Lakers. The 6-foot-5 guard/forward played 890 NBA games and averaged 20.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
“Retired NBA players are like a small fraternity,” Wilkins said. “He had such an impact on my career. He told me, from when I was a rookie, to let the game come to me. I always remembered that.”
Hudson was a 2002 inductee into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
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