Atlanta Hawks
The franchise began as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946, playing their first game on November 8 of that year against the Syracuse Nationals. That opening match ended with a score of 50 to 39 for the home team. The club was organized by Leo Ferris and the Erie County American Legion under coach Nat Hickey. William Pop Gates played on that roster alongside William Dolly King as one of the league's earliest African-American players. Financial struggles forced a move after just 38 days when attendance failed to reach the required 1,000 fans per game. On the 25th of December 1946, the team relocated to Moline, Illinois, becoming the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. They played at Wharton Field House, a venue seating 6,000 people. In 1949, the team joined the NBA following a merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America. Red Auerbach served as head coach during this inaugural season before the franchise moved again to Milwaukee in 1951.
Bob Pettit became the team MVP in 1956, leading the Hawks to a Western Division title despite finishing four games below .500 overall. The division was so weak that no other team held a winning record that year. The Hawks defeated the Minneapolis Lakers and Fort Wayne Pistons in tiebreakers to advance to the finals. They lost to the Boston Celtics in a double-overtime thriller decided by a seventh game. The following year, 1958, the Hawks avenged their previous loss with a 4-2 series victory over Boston. Bob Pettit scored 50 points in the final game to secure the franchise's only championship. The team finished 49-23 the next season, earning Pettit his second MVP award. They reached the Finals three more times, losing to Boston in 1960 and 1961. All four Finals appearances occurred while the team was based in St. Louis.
Cable network entrepreneur Ted Turner purchased the team in 1977 and hired Hubie Brown as head coach. This ownership change proved vital for keeping professional basketball in the Deep South region. Brown won Coach of the Year honors in 1978 after guiding the team to a 50-32 record. The Hawks claimed their first Central Division title during the 1979-80 season. A rough start followed the next year when they lost 13 of their first 14 games after beginning 4-0. Management fired Hubie Brown with three games remaining in that campaign. The team finished 31-51 under new leadership. Turner also owned the Atlanta Braves baseball team, making both franchises unique in the region at the time. His investment stabilized the organization through difficult financial periods.
Dominique Wilkins joined the franchise in 1982 as a University of Georgia alumnus. He became the team's all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points. Wilkins won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985 and again in 1990 against Michael Jordan. The team enjoyed elite status from 1985 to 1989, winning 50 or more games each season. They set a franchise record with 57 wins in 1986-87, a mark standing until 2014-15. Despite regular success, the Hawks could not advance past the conference semifinals during this period. They lost to Boston and Detroit in those rounds. In 1992, guard Mookie Blaylock arrived from New Jersey, spending seven years with Atlanta. Blaylock led the team in career steals and three-point field goals while earning an All-Star selection in 1994. Lenny Wilkens coached the team to another 57-win season in 1993-94 before Wilkins was traded to Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning.
The franchise endured a 48-year drought without advancing past the second round of the playoffs until 2015. This streak finally ended when they defeated the Washington Wizards in six games during the conference semifinals. The Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in history that year. They lost to Cleveland in four games despite finishing 60-22, their best record ever. Mike Budenholzer coached the team to this historic run after being hired on the 28th of May 2013. The 2014-15 squad became the first NBA team to go 17-0 in a calendar month. Four players made the All-Star Game that year including Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Al Horford. The team set a franchise record by making 20-of-36 three-pointers against Sacramento Kings on the 9th of March 2015. They clinched the top seed in the East with wins over Miami and Cleveland losses to Brooklyn.
The Hawks selected Luka Dončić third overall in 2018 but immediately traded him to Dallas for Trae Young's draft rights. Young became the first Hawk starter since Dikembe Mutombo in 1998 to make an All-Star Game as a starter in 2020. The team reached the Conference Finals in 2021 under interim coach Nate McMillan. They upset the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers before losing to Milwaukee in six games. Trae Young was injured stepping on an official's foot during Game 3 of that series. In June 2022, the Hawks traded Danilo Gallinari for Dejounte Murray, creating a new backcourt pairing. That duo lasted only two seasons before Murray moved to New Orleans Pelicans. The team finished 41-41 in 2022-23 and lost to Boston in the first round. Dyson Daniels won Most Improved Player honors in 2025 after setting a franchise record with 229 steals in a single season.
Red and white served as primary colors from the 1950s through most of the St. Louis era. Baby blue and white uniforms appeared briefly between 1968 and 1970 after moving to Atlanta. A blue, green, and white palette replaced those colors starting in 1970. Red and white returned in 1972 with yellow accents added later. Black became an accent color in 1992 alongside the arrival of the NHL's Atlanta Flames. Navy blue emerged as a primary color in 2007 for the first time in history. The Pac-Man logo was modernized on the 1st of May 2014, becoming the team's main emblem after the 2014-15 season. Torch Red, Volt Green, and Georgia Granite Gray formed the new scheme unveiled the 24th of June 2015. Special City uniforms paid tribute to Peachtree Street in 2019-20 and honored Martin Luther King Jr. in 2020-21. The 2023-24 design featured lowercase atl letters inspired by city spirit and interconnectivity.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Atlanta Hawks franchise begin and what was its original name?
The Atlanta Hawks franchise began as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946, playing their first game on November 8 of that year against the Syracuse Nationals. The club was organized by Leo Ferris and the Erie County American Legion under coach Nat Hickey.
Who won the NBA championship for the Atlanta Hawks and when did it happen?
Bob Pettit scored 50 points to secure the franchise's only championship with a 4-2 series victory over Boston in 1958. This win avenged their previous loss to the Celtics in a double-overtime thriller decided by a seventh game.
How many times have the Atlanta Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in history in 2015 after defeating the Washington Wizards in six games during the conference semifinals. They lost to Cleveland in four games despite finishing 60-22, which was their best record ever.
What is the all-time leading scorer for the Atlanta Hawks and how many points did he score?
Dominique Wilkins became the team's all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points after joining the franchise in 1982 as a University of Georgia alumnus. He also won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985 and again in 1990 against Michael Jordan.
When did the Atlanta Hawks change their primary colors to include navy blue?
Navy blue emerged as a primary color in 2007 for the first time in history. The new scheme featuring Torch Red, Volt Green, and Georgia Granite Gray was unveiled on the 24th of June 2015.