60 Fun Facts About Atlanta Hawks

What name did the Hawks' home arena take in 2018 under a new naming-rights deal?

It opened as Philips Arena in 1999 and was renamed when State Farm bought the naming rights in 2018.

The Hawks franchise began life in 1946 in which city?

The Buffalo Bisons lasted just 38 days before moving to the Tri-Cities area of Illinois and Iowa.

What was the team called after moving to Moline, Illinois, in 1946?

The Tri-Cities were Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and Davenport in Iowa; the team played at the 6,000-seat Wharton Field House.

How many days did the franchise spend in its original city before moving on?

The Bisons needed 3,600 fans a game to break even and struggled to draw even 1,000.

Which legendary coach briefly led the then Tri-Cities franchise in the NBA's first season?

Auerbach left after one season and went on to build the Celtics dynasty that beat the Hawks in three of four Finals meetings.

Which future Celtics great did the Blackhawks draft in 1950 but fail to sign?

When the Stags folded, Cousy ended up in Boston through a dispersal draft.

In which city did the Hawks win their only NBA championship?

All four of the franchise's Finals appearances came during its St. Louis years, from 1955 to 1968.

In what year did the Hawks win their lone NBA title?

They beat Boston in six games, avenging a double-overtime Game 7 loss to the Celtics the year before.

Which team did the Hawks face in every one of their four NBA Finals appearances?

Boston won three of the four series; the Hawks' 1958 title interrupted the Celtics' run of championships.

Which Hawks forward won the NBA's first official Most Valuable Player award in 1956?

Pettit won a second MVP in 1959 and scored 50 points in the title-clinching game of the 1958 Finals.

Which future 11-time champion did the Hawks draft second in 1956 and immediately trade to Boston?

In return the Hawks got Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley, both future Hall of Famers, and won the 1958 title with them.

How many points did the Hawks' star forward score in the title-clinching game of the 1958 NBA Finals?

His 50-point Game 6 sealed the 4–2 series win over Boston.

Which St. Louis arena did owner Ben Kerner grow tired of, prompting the eventual move to Atlanta?

The 33-year-old building seated only 10,000, and the city refused Kerner's demands for a building of his own.

In which year did the Hawks move to Atlanta?

Kerner sold the team to developer Tom Cousins and former Georgia governor Carl Sanders on May 3, 1968.

On which university's campus did the Hawks play their first four Atlanta seasons?

They used Alexander Memorial Coliseum until the Omni opened in 1972, and returned there while Philips Arena was built.

The Hawks' new arena of 1972 was built to house them and which NHL expansion team?

The Hawks adopted the Flames' white, gold and red colours; the Flames later moved to Calgary.

The Hawks held the first and third picks in 1975, but both signed with which ABA team?

David Thompson and Marvin Webster never played a game for Atlanta.

Which cable-TV entrepreneur and Braves owner bought the Hawks in 1977?

His ownership was credited with keeping both the Hawks and Braves in the Deep South.

Which Georgia alumnus and future franchise scoring leader joined the Hawks in 1982?

'The Human Highlight Film' received a statue outside the arena in 2015.

Because of poor attendance, the Hawks played 12 home games of the 1984–85 season in which city?

Promoter Barry Mendelson paid $1.2 million for the games at Lakefront Arena, where the Hawks went 6–6.

Which 5-foot-7 Hawks guard won the 1986 Slam Dunk Contest?

He beat a Hawks teammate in the final, at a venue in Dallas.

In which two years did the Hawks' 'Human Highlight Film' win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest?

His duels with Michael Jordan, especially the 1988 contest in Chicago, are among the event's most famous.

Which guard, acquired from New Jersey in 1992, leads the Hawks in career steals?

He also inspired the original name of the band that became Pearl Jam.

Which Hawks coach became the NBA's all-time leader in coaching wins with victory number 939 in 1994–95?

He had also played for the St. Louis Hawks and was Coach of the Year with Atlanta in 1994.

Which forward came to Atlanta in the 1994 trade of its all-time top scorer to the Clippers?

He left for Phoenix in free agency after the season, making the deal a disaster for Atlanta.

Which shot-blocking center signed a $55 million Hawks deal in 1996 and won back-to-back DPOY awards?

He was traded to Philadelphia in 2001 for a package that included Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoč.

Why did the Hawks' 1972–97 arena deteriorate so quickly that it was demolished after just 25 years?

The steel was meant to rust into a protective seal, but the designers had not reckoned with the subtropical humidity.

Which Spanish star did the Hawks draft third in 2001, then send to Memphis on draft night?

The trade brought Shareef Abdur-Rahim to Atlanta; Gasol became a two-time NBA champion with the Lakers.

Which All-Star forward played one game for the Hawks in 2004 before being sent to Detroit?

He scored 20 points in that game and won a championship with the Pistons that spring.

How many games did the Hawks win in 2004–05, the fewest in the NBA that season?

That was five fewer than the expansion Charlotte Bobcats; the same year Josh Smith won the dunk contest.

The Hawks acquired Joe Johnson in a 2005 sign-and-trade with which team?

Boris Diaw and two first-round picks went to Phoenix; Johnson became a six-time All-Star in Atlanta.

Which Florida big man did the Hawks select third overall in 2007?

He was the only unanimous All-Rookie First Team pick that year and later left for Boston in 2016.

Which point guard, acquired midseason in 2008, sparked the Hawks' first playoff appearance since 1999?

Atlanta was 22–28 at the trade and pushed the eventual champion Celtics to seven games in the first round.

Which coach, hired from the Spurs' staff in 2013, led the Hawks to a franchise-record 60 wins?

He later coached the Bucks to the 2021 title, beating his old team in the East finals along the way.

In January 2015 the Hawks became the first NBA team to do what?

Four Hawks (Teague, Millsap, Korver and Horford) went to that season's All-Star Game.

What was the Hawks' franchise-best record in 2014–15?

They won the East's top seed and reached the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

Which team swept the Hawks in their first-ever conference finals appearance in 2015?

It was the first time the franchise had advanced past the second round since 1967, its second-last year in St. Louis.

A group led by which billionaire bought the Hawks for $850 million in 2015?

Minority stakes went to Grant Hill, Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Ressler's wife, actress Jami Gertz.

Which Atlanta native signed a three-year, $70 million contract to come home to the Hawks in 2016?

He lasted one season before being traded to Charlotte.

On 2018 draft night the Hawks traded Luka Dončić to Dallas for the rights to which player?

Atlanta also got a protected 2019 first-rounder, which became Cam Reddish.

Which player retired with the Hawks in 2020 after a then-record 22 NBA seasons?

'Vinsanity' was 43 when he played his last game.

Which interim coach took over the 14–20 Hawks in March 2021 and led them to the conference finals?

The team went 27–11 under him and upset the top-seeded 76ers before losing to Milwaukee.

The Hawks' star point guard's 2021 conference finals ended after he was injured by doing what in Game 3?

The Bucks won the series in six and went on to win the title.

In 2022 the Hawks sent Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks to San Antonio for which point guard?

The Young–Murray backcourt lasted just two seasons before Murray was dealt to New Orleans.

Whom did the Hawks take first overall in the 2024 draft, their first No. 1 pick since 1975?

The French forward became the fourth No. 1 pick in franchise history.

Which guard set a Hawks franchise record with 229 steals in 2024–25 and won Most Improved Player?

He came over from New Orleans in the Dejounte Murray trade and led the league in steals and deflections.

The Hawks' 'Pac-Man' logo, revived in 2014, was originally used during which years?

The stylized hawk-head silhouette in a circle got its nickname from its resemblance to the arcade character.

What is the name of the neon accent colour the Hawks introduced in 2015?

It paired with Torch Red and Georgia Granite Gray until the team returned to red, black and yellow in 2020.

The Hawks' 2020–21 'City' uniform paid tribute to which Atlanta figure?

The black-and-gold MLK design proved so popular the team announced its return for 2026–27.

The Hawks retired the number 59 in honour of which non-player?

Reed served as mayor from 2010 to 2018 and helped keep the team in the city during the 2015 sale.

The Hawks–Magic rivalry is rooted in two Georgia-raised 2004 draftees: Orlando's centre and which Hawks forward?

Orlando swept Atlanta in the 2010 playoffs; the Hawks got revenge in six games in 2011.

Which team held a 10-2 playoff series edge over the Hawks through 2025, back to St. Louis?

The rivalry got a new chapter when Al Horford left Atlanta for Boston in 2016 and won a title there in 2024.

What was the name of the Hawks' home arena in Atlanta from 1972 to 1997?

Its last Hawks game was an 89–80 playoff loss to the Bulls in 1997.

Who coached the Hawks to the 1958 NBA title, then was let go by owner Ben Kerner right after?

The only two seasons in which Bill Russell's Celtics failed to win a title were losses to Hannum-coached teams: the 1958 Hawks and the 1967 76ers.

What was the Hawks' home arena called before State Farm bought the naming rights in 2018?

The building opened in 1999 as a replacement for the rusting Omni.

Trae Young's 2020 All-Star start was the first by a Hawk since which player in 1998?

Days later the Hawks acquired Clint Capela in a four-team trade.

Which North Carolina forward did the Hawks take second overall in the 2005 draft?

Despite the league's worst record, they missed out on the top pick, which went to Milwaukee.

Which two Hall of Famers did the Hawks receive from Boston in the 1956 trade of Bill Russell?

Both would help the St. Louis Hawks win the 1958 title, the franchise's only championship.

Which Spurs executive did the Hawks hire as president of basketball operations and GM in June 2012?

Within a year almost every player from the Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams trades he made was gone again.

Which Hawks co-owner said in 2014 he would sell after self-reporting a racially insensitive email?

The remaining minority owners joined him, and Tony Ressler's group bought the whole franchise in 2015.