Would you remain faithful to your team if it went more than 60 years without being champion? Atlanta Hawks fans have been waiting for an NBA title since the 1950s!
The Hawks' glory days were lived between 1956 and 1970, when the franchise reached 12 conference finals in 15 years.
However, the vast majority of those finals were played when the Hawks were at another venue.
Do you want to know what it was? Stay with us and learn all the details of the history of the Atlanta Hawks!
When was the Atlanta Hawks created?
The NBA franchise known today as the Atlanta Hawks was created in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons. However, the team stayed only 38 days in Buffalo, until its founders decided to take it to Moline, in the state of Illinois.
In its second headquarters, the franchise still received the name of Tri-Cities Blackhawks, representing the cities of Rock Island and Moline, in the state of Illinois, and Davenport in Iowa.
Initially, the franchise played in the National Basketball League (NBL). Its entry into the NBA took place in 1949, when the league was founded from the merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
In 1951, founder Ben Kerner moved the franchise to Milwaukee, where it adopted the name Hawks. Four years later, a new change took place, on that occasion for Saint Louis.
It wasn't until 1968, when Ben Kerner sold the franchise to Thomas Cousins and former Georgia governor Carl Sanders, that the team arrived at its current headquarters and was renamed the Atlanta Hawks.
What city and state are the Atlanta Hawks in?
After passing through several cities, the Atlanta Hawks, since 1968, represent the city of Atlanta, capital of the state of Georgia.
In addition to having the Hawks in the NBA, among the main sports leagues in the United States, Atlanta has:
- Atlanta Falcons , in the NFL;
- Atlanta Braves, in Major League Baseball (MLB);
- Atlanta United, in Major League Soccer (MLS ).
What is the name of the Atlanta Hawks arena?
The Atlanta Hawks play their NBA home games at State Farm Arena. Inaugurated in 1999, it cost US$ 213.5 million.
State Farm Arena seats 16,600 for basketball games. It also hosts the matches of the Atlanta Dream, a WNBA team.
What conference does the Atlanta Hawks play in?
The Atlanta Hawks compete in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. The franchise is in the Southeast Division, alongside the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat , Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards .
However, the Hawks were once part of the Western Conference while based in St. Louis. There, they won 4 conference titles between 1957 and 1961.
Who owns the Atlanta Hawks?
The Atlanta Hawks are owned by Tony Ressler, a private equity and venture capital mogul.
Ressler is the majority shareholder in the franchise, which was purchased on June 24, 2015 for an estimated value of between US$730 and US$850 million.
How many conference titles do the Atlanta Hawks have?
- 1957
- 1958
- 1960
- 1961
In his career in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks won 4 conference titles. The franchise was West champion in 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1961, when it was still the Saint Louis Hawks.
Between 1956 and 1970, the Hawks missed the Western Conference Finals just three times.
Among the four titles in the West, the Hawks still reached the conference final in 1959, but were defeated by the Lakers .
The franchise had already been beaten in the West finals in 1956 by the Pistons .
In the 1960s, still in the West, the Hawks lost another six conference finals, four to the Los Angeles Lakers and two to the San Francisco Warriors .
Since moving east, the Atlanta Hawks have played in only one conference final, in 2015, and were defeated by LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers .
All Atlanta Hawks Conference Finals
| Year | Conference | Champion | Series | runner-up |
| 1956 | West | Fort Wayne Pistons | 3–2 | St. louis hawks |
| 1957 | West | St. louis hawks | 3–0 | minneapolis lakers |
| 1958 | West | St. louis hawks | 4–1 | detroit pistons |
| 1959 | West | minneapolis lakers | 4–2 | St. louis hawks |
| 1960 | West | St. louis hawks | 4–3 | minneapolis lakers |
| 1961 | West | St. louis hawks | 4–3 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1963 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 | St. louis hawks |
| 1964 | West | San Francisco Warriors | 4–3 | St. louis hawks |
| 1966 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–3 | St. louis hawks |
| 1967 | West | San Francisco Warriors | 4–2 | St. louis hawks |
| 1969 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–1 | atlanta hawks |
| 1970 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4–0 | atlanta hawks |
| 2015 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4–0 | atlanta hawks |
How many NBA titles do the Atlanta Hawks have?
- 1958
The Atlanta Hawks have only one NBA title in their history, won in 1958, when they were still the Saint Louis Hawks. In the finals, the team defeated the Boston Celtics, by 4 to 2.
The Hawks, still in Saint Louis, were runners-up in the NBA three times (1957, 1960 and 1961), always in finals against the Celtics.
Without being an NBA champion in more than 60 years, the Hawks have the second-longest drought among any league winning team. The longest period of fasting is for the Sacramento Kings , who haven't won a title since 1951, when they were still the Rochester Royals.
Every NBA Finals played by the Atlanta Hawks
| Year | Champion | series score | runner-up |
| 1957 | Boston Celtics | 4 x 3 | St. louis hawks |
| 1958 | St. louis hawks | 4 x 2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1960 | Boston Celtics | 4 x 3 | St. louis hawks |
| 1961 | Boston Celtics | 4 x 1 | St. louis hawks |
Greatest Players in Atlanta Hawks History
- Bob Pettit
- Dominique Wilkins
- Lou Hudson
- Pete Maravich
- Dikembe Mutombo
The greatest players in Atlanta Hawks history are honored by the franchise with the retirement number they wore. To date, only 5 former athletes have had their jerseys retired by the Hawks: Bob Pettit (9), Dominique Wilkins (21), Lou Hudson (23), Pete Maravich (44) and Dikembe Mutombo (55).
Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit was the first winner of the NBA MVP award in the 1955/1956 season and is a member of the basketball hall of fame.
He played 11 NBA seasons for the Hawks and was champion in 1958.
Chosen to 11 editions of the All-Star Game, Bob Pettit was the MVP of the All-Star Game 4 times.
Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins is considered one of the best players in NBA history. For the Atlanta Hawks, he holds the record for games (882) and points (23,292).
He is a member of the hall of fame, was an NBA scorer in 1986 and played in 9 editions of the All-Star Game.
Lou Hudson
Lou Hudson defended the Hawks between 1966 and 1977, being chosen 6 times for the All-Star Game.
At the end of his career, he still played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pete Maravich
Pete Maravich, known as Pistol Pete, is considered one of the most creative offensive players in NBA history. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the third pick in 1970 and remained with the franchise until 1974.
In his 10-season career in the NBA, he was the 1977 scorer and was in 5 editions of the All-Star Game.
Basketball Hall of Famer Pete Maravich has died at the age of 40 from undiagnosed heart problems.
Want to know more about Pete Maravich's story? The Pistol Pete Biography is one of the best basketball books .
Dikembe Mutombo
Center Dikembe Mutombo was born in Congo and became one of the greatest defensive players in basketball history.
Always remembered for his ability to block opponents' shots, he was named the best defenseman in the NBA in four seasons.
Basketball hall of fame member, Mutombo was in 8 editions of the All-Star Game.
Numbers retired by the Atlanta Hawks
| Number | Player | Position | Period |
| 9 | Bob Pettit | Allah | 1954–1965 |
| 21 | Dominique Wilkins | Allah | 1982–1994 |
| 23 | Lou Hudson | Wing guard | 1966–1977 |
| 44 | Pete Maravich | Owner | 1970–1974 |
| 55 | Dikembe Mutombo | Pivot | 1996–2001 |
Atlanta Hawks Records
- Highest scoring player for the Atlanta Hawks: Dominique Wilkins with 23,292 points
- Player with most rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks: Bob Pettit, with 12,849
- Player with most assists for the Atlanta Hawks: Doc Rivers with 3,866
- Player with the most stumps for the Atlanta Hawks: Tree Rollins, with 2,283
- Player with most minutes on court for the Atlanta Hawks: Dominique Wilkins, with 32,545
- Player with most steals for the Atlanta Hawks: Mookie Blaylock, with 1,321
- Player with most 3-pointers for the Atlanta Hawks: Mookie Blaylock, with 1050
Atlanta Hawks roster in 2019/2020
- DeAndre' Bembry (War guard)
- Charlie Brown (Point Guard)
- Vince Carter (Warguard)
- John Collins (Wing)
- Allen Crabbe (Warguard)
- Marcus Derrickson (Wing)
- Bruno Fernando (Wing)
- Brandon Goodwin (Pivot)
- Kevin Huerter (Point Guard)
- De'Andre Hunter (Wing)
- Damian Jones (Pivot)
- Alex Len (Pivot)
- Jabari Parker (Wing)
- Chandler Parsons (Wing)
- Cam Reddish (War guard)
- Ray Spalding (Wing)
- Evan Turner (Warguard)
- Trae Young (Point Guard)
Atlanta Hawks coaching staff in 2019/2020
- Coach: Lloyd Pierce
- Assistants: Melvin Hunt, Chris Jent, Greg Foster, Marlon Garnett and Matt Hill
Atlanta Hawks sporting goods
Atlanta Hawks fans have a wide range of franchise-licensed merchandise available, from hats to barbecue kits. So they can follow the team's NBA games using the team brand!
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