Atlanta Hawks are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The Hawks play in State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hawks entered the NBA in 1949 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa). After two seasons, the team moved to Milwaukee, playing there through the 1954-1955 season. In 1955, the Hawks moved to St. Louis, Missouri, playing there until 1968, when they moved to Atlanta.
The Hawks won their only NBA championship in 1957-1958, led by forwards Cliff Hagan and Bob Pettit, one of the greatest players in NBA history. The team also won the Western Division title in 1958-1959, 1959-1960, and 1960-1961. The team won the division championship in the 1967-1968 season, its final year in St. Louis. Stars of the team during the 1960’s included center Zelmo Beatty, guard Lenny Wilkens, and forwards Bill Bridges and Lou Hudson.
The Hawks moved to the Central Division of the NBA in 1970 but did not win a division title until the 1979-1980 season. Stars of that team included forwards John Drew and Eddie Johnson. The team won one more division title during the 1980’s, in 1986-1987. The team was led by Dominique Wilkins, one of the most exciting players in NBA history.
Atlanta won a division title again in the 1993-1994 season, led by Wilkins and center Kevin Willis. However, the team struggled from 1999 through 2002, failing to make the playoffs three times. The star of the team during the late 1990’s was center Dikembe Mutombo, four-time NBA defensive player of the year. The Hawks moved to the newly created Southeast Division of the NBA in 2004 as part of a realignment of the league’s teams. The team made the playoffs each season from 2007-2008 to 2016-2017. Top players included forwards Josh Smith and Al Horford. High-scoring guard Trae Young became a top Hawks player in the 2020’s.
