Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, competing in the Southeast Division of the NBA’s Eastern Conference.
Contents12 sections
Key facts
1946Origins
The franchise began in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons.[1]
1949–1955Tri-Cities, Milwaukee, and St. Louis
The Tri-Cities Blackhawks joined the NBA in 1949, moved to Milwaukee and shortened their name to the Hawks in 1951, then relocated to St. Louis in 1955.[2]
1954–1958Pettit and an NBA Championship
Bob Pettit joined the Milwaukee Hawks through the 1954 draft and spent his entire 11-year NBA career with the franchise. He won Rookie of the Year in 1955, earned his first league MVP award in 1956, and led the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship.[3]
1968–1977Atlanta and a Change of Ownership
Thomas Cousins and Carl Sanders bought the team and moved it to Atlanta in 1968. Ted Turner acquired the Hawks in 1977.[2]
1980sDominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins spent most of his career with Atlanta and became the franchise’s scoring leader. He led the NBA with 30.3 points per game in 1985–86, while his distinctive dunking helped make him one of the team’s defining stars.[4]
1999A New Home Arena
The team’s current home opened on September 18, 1999, as Philips Arena. Renovations took place in 2017–2018, and the building was renamed State Farm Arena on August 29, 2018.[5]
2014–2015Sixty Wins and the Eastern Conference Finals
The Hawks finished 60–22 in 2014–15 and reached the Eastern Conference finals.[2]
2015Approval of the Ressler Group’s Purchase
On June 24, 2015, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Hawks to a group led by Tony Ressler.[6]
January 9, 2026Backcourt changes
On January 9, 2026, the Hawks formally announced the trade of Trae Young to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, following an agreement two days earlier.[7]
May 27, 2026Basketball Operations Leadership
Atlanta finished sixth in the East at 46–36 and lost to New York in the first round. On May 27, 2026, Onsi Saleh was promoted from general manager to president of basketball operations.[8]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Atlanta Hawks: Official website: https://www.nba.com/hawks/ (opens in a new window).[9]
Atlanta Hawks: X: https://x.com/atlhawks (opens in a new window).[10]
Atlanta Hawks: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlhawks/ (opens in a new window).[9]
Atlanta Hawks: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlhawks/ (opens in a new window).[9]
Atlanta Hawks: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@ATLHawks (opens in a new window).[11]
Sources
- Retired numbers for the Atlanta Hawks (opens in a new window)
- Atlanta Hawks 2018–19 Media Guide (opens in a new window)
- Bob Pettit (opens in a new window)
- Dominique Wilkins (opens in a new window)
- Quick Facts (opens in a new window)
- NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Atlanta Hawks (opens in a new window)
- Hawks announce trade to send Young to Wizards for McCollum, Kispert (opens in a new window)
- Hawks promote Onsi Saleh from GM to president of basketball operations (opens in a new window)
- Atlanta Hawks Official Website (opens in a new window)
- Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) / X (opens in a new window)
- Atlanta Hawks — YouTube (opens in a new window)