Dikembe Mutombo is one of five players with a number retired by the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks were founded in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons and have been in Atlanta since 1968. Their one and only title was before they shifted to Atlanta, and they haven’t won a Conference Finals since then. That’s hard to believe when looking at some of the players who have come through this organization, so let’s start with one of the best players of all time!
(9) Bob Pettit
All the glory days for the Hawks were when they played in St. Louis, and Pettit was a significant part of their success. He was taken second overall in the 1954 NBA Draft and won Rookie of the Year in his debut season. He was an All-Star in all 11 of his seasons. Big Blue won back-to-back MVP awards in 1995 and 1956, while finishing Top 6 in MVP voting nine times! He carried the Hawks to their only title in franchise history in 1958. He averaged 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds throughout his career, being inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1970.
(21) Dominique Wilkins
If there’s one player that most NBA fans would associate with the Hawks, it’s Wilkins. The Human Highlight Film was selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1982 NBA Draft but was traded to the Hawks before the season started. That’s the best trade this organization has ever made, with Wilkins spending his first 12 seasons with the Hawks. He made the All-Star team in his final nine years with Atlanta, receiving MVP votes in eight of those. He won the NBA scoring title in 1986, leading the league with 30.3 points per game. Wilkins also won two dunk contests and is known as one of the best dunkers in the history of the NBA. He was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2006 and is a color commentator for the Hawks today!
(23) Lou Hudson
Sweet Lou was taken fourth overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1966 NBA Draft. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in his debut season and spent his first 11 seasons with the Hawks. His early years were his best, making six straight All-Star appearances between 1968 and 1973. During that span, Hudson averaged 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2022.
(44) Pete Maravich
Pistol Pete was the third overall pick by the Hawks in the 1970 NBA Draft. He only spent his first four seasons with Atlanta but he averaged 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals during that span. He made the All-Star team in his final two seasons with the Hawks and received MVP votes three times. They traded him to the New Orleans Jazz in 1974 and Maravich closed his career by playing for the Boston Celtics in 1980. Maravich was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 1987.
(55) Dikembe Mutombo
Mutombo is one of the only players who’s had his number retired by multiple organizations, but that shows just how special he was. Dikembe was the fourth overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1991 NBA Draft but was signed by the Atlanta Hawks in 1996. He made an immediate impact for the Hawks, winning Defensive Player of the Year in three of his five seasons in ATL. It’s easy to see why, with Mutombo averaging 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game in that span. He played his final year with the Hawks in 2001 and was inducted into the Hall-of-Fame in 2015.
