Top 50 Atlanta Hawks
You would think there would be a richer history for the Atlanta Hawks, but other than a championship in a previous city (St. Louis), the Hawks' postseason success has not been illustrious, though it has been long.Formed in 1946 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in the National Basketball League, the Hawks would join the NBA in 1949 as part of the two leagues' merger. The team would relocate to Milwaukee in 1951, dropping the “Black” from the name and simply becoming the “Hawks”. The stay in Milwaukee would only last four years, as the team would again relocate, this time to St. Louis, where they would have their greatest success.
Led by Bob Pettit, the St. Louis Hawks would go to the NBA Finals (1957, 1958, 1960 & 1961) and would win one of those ( '58). To date, this is the only championship that the Hawks have won, and by far the best period of the organization’s existence.
Unable to secure a decent arena, the Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1965, where they have been home since. They have also not been to the NBA Finals since their move to the Peach State.
They have had some excellent players in Atlanta (Dominique Wilkins, of course), but they currently hold the second-longest championship drought (behind the Sacramento Kings).
This list is up to the end of the 2024/25 season.
Note: Basketball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics and post-season accolades.
Bob Pettit played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Hawks, and each included a trip to the All-Star Game.Pretty impressive, isn’t it?
Seriously, if this was specifically just for the accomplishments of the Hawks while in Atlanta, Dominique would have been a lock for the number one slot…though is being behind Bob Pettit an insult in any capacity?
Cliff Hagan entered the NBA later than he would have liked, as the former NCAA Champion with Kentucky served in the military for a few years; however, he would quickly make up for lost time.
While John Drew might be best known in the NBA for being the first recipient of a lifetime drug ban, many Hawks fans would prefer to remember him for his on-court talent as opposed to his off-court problems.
Mookie Blaylock was one of the best defensive Point Guards of all time. Blaylock was an Atlanta Hawk for seven years, which was the best part of his career. While in Atlanta, Blaylock would win the Steals Title twice and would make the All-Defensive Team six times. Offensively, Blaylock would never fall below 13 Points per Game as a Hawk.
Far from a one-dimensional Center, Al Horford was the third overall draft pick in 2007 and paid early dividends for the Atlanta Hawks. A runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors, Horford had two back-to-back All-Star runs (2010-11 & 2015-16) and never had a season where he fell below 10 Points per Game. Horford would also post seasons with a PER above 20.
The owner of one of the sweetest jump shots of all time (hence the nickname of “Sweet Lou”), Lou Hudson went to six straight All-Star Games, coincidentally the first six seasons the team relocated to Atlanta. Hudson would score over 20 Points per Game seven times, four of which would be higher than 25 Points. While the Hawks never really went that deep into the playoffs while he was there, most of the success that…
At the 2018 Draft, the most significant moment was when the Dallas Mavericks traded Trae Young to Atlanta for Luka Doncic, players both teams had just drafted and were both hopeful had landed the man who would take them to the promised land. With the two linked together in perpetuity, Young will always be compared to Doncic, which may not be fair, but Young showed his share of scoring skills Young was an immediate star,…
Foregoing college for the NBA Draft, Josh Smith brought instant excitement to the Atlanta Hawks. He first garnered national attention as the winner of the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie, but the expert dunker proved to be a true savant as a blocker. Notably, the youngest player to get to 500 Blocks, Smith would finish in the top five in Blocks four times while posting seven seasons scoring over 15 Points per Game.
While Doc Rivers is far better known these days for his coaching work (he is a former Coach of the Year with an NBA Ring in Boston) there are many in the state of Georgia who will always remember him for his sweet passes to Dominique Wilkins.
One of the more physically imposing players of his day, Zelmos Beaty arrived as the third overall draft pick coming out of Prairie View A&M. Beaty would use his size to average over 10 Rebounds per Game in six of his seven Atlanta seasons, and was also an adept scorer, exceeding 20 Points per Game three times. He would represent the Hawks in the All-Star Game twice.
Known for his strong defensive game, “Mr Rounds” Dan Roundfield brought a ton of “power” to the Power Forward position. Roundfield came to Atlanta after a three-year run in Indiana and would reward the Hawks faithful with five Defensive Team Selections and three straight All-Star appearances. In all but his final season with Atlanta, he averaged a season double-double; however, the one he missed was because he averaged only 9.9 Rebounds per Game. Not too…
An All-Star for six of seven seasons as an Atlanta Hawk, Joe Johnson was the central star of the organization. Signing on as a Free Agent, Johnson strung together five consecutive seasons scoring over 20 Points per Game with his sweet shooter's touch. While he was not able to take Atlanta deep into the playoffs, he did lead them there multiple times. At one time, Johnson was the highest-paid player in the NBA, and he…
Lenny Wilkens was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame three times: as a coach, as a player, and as a member of the 1992 United States Olympic Dream Team.
With a name like “Tree” Rollins, you expect that the man would be tall, right? Yes, you would be right.
Kevin Willis played in the NBA for a long time. I mean, a really long time! A veteran of the National Basketball Association for over twenty seasons, Willis played the first half (and his best half) with the Atlanta Hawks. An All-Star in 1992, Wilis had four seasons where he averaged a double-double and was named a co-captain of the team. Willis would be known for his incredible rebounding skills.
Although Bill Bridges was considered undersized for his position (he was only 6'6’), he was a tenacious rebounder, especially during his time with the Hawks. Except for his first two seasons, the former Kansas Jayhawk would average a double-double, finishing in the top eight in Rebounds per Game six times as a Hawk. The three-time All-Star would also be chosen for two Second Team Defensive squads.
There were few players more exciting to watch in Atlanta than Eddie Johnson. Johnson worked his way from a low draft pick to a two-time All-Star, and his slashing style made him a fan favorite not only in Atlanta but also throughout the NBA fan base. Not only was he a good shooter, but he also used his speed on the defensive side of the ball, as shown by his two selections to the Second…
Paul Millsap played four seasons for the Atlanta Hawks (2013-14 to 2016-17), and he went "four for four," meaning he was named an All-Star in each of those seasons. While the Hawks were always a lower-end playoff team when he played there, he was successful in putting together good statistical seasons, as he never had a campaign for ATL where he dipped under 16 Points or 7 Rebounds per Season. It was also in Atlanta…
The answer to the trivia question (who was the first overall draft pick in the 1950s), Chuck Share, would be traded from Fort Wayne to the Milwaukee Hawks, which would later be moved to St. Louis. Share, a rough player who was adept at collecting Personal Fouls, would have three seasons where he scored 15 Points per Game, but most notably was the captain for the Hawks' Championship win in 1958.