Hawking is most noted for his theorizing on quantum gravity and black holes, however originally he explained entropy being consumed by a black hole as contrary to the 2nd law of thermodynamics and stated that the 2nd law of thermodynamics did not apply.
along came bekenstein who theorized it did apply and explained how it could. Hawking screamed and hollered that bekenstein was wrong and an idiot, then Hawking set out to 'prove' Bekenstein wrong. Unfortunately, Hawking 'discovered' that Bekenstein was right. Hence it is today called "Bekenstein-Hawking Entropy".
Hawking went on to do a lot more, but the point is the prime thing he came up with competely on his own was in fact wrong.
Greatness comes in collaboration of minds. Whether voluntary, or forced upon one as with Hawking.
There is an "I" in Hawking but not in "Greatness"