Retired numbers for the Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks were founded in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons and have been based in Atlanta since 1968. They won their only title before moving to Atlanta, and they haven’t won a conference final since. That’s hard to believe when you look at some of the players that have come through this organization. So let’s start with one of the best players of all time!

(9) Bob Pettit

The Hawks’ glory days came when they played in St. Louis, and Pettit was an integral part of their success. He was taken second overall in the 1954 NBA draft and was named rookie of the year in his debut season. He was an All-Star in all eleven of his seasons. Big Blue won back-to-back MVP awards in 1995 and 1956 and finished in the top 6 in MVP voting nine times! He led the Hawks to their only title in franchise history in 1958. He averaged 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds over the course of his career and was 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 start of the season. This is the best trade this organization has ever made, as Wilkins spent his first 12 seasons with the Hawks. In his final nine years with Atlanta, he made the All-Star team and received MVP votes in eight of them. 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 considered one of the best dunkers in NBA history. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 and is now a color commentator for the Hawks!

(23) Lou Hudson

Sweet Lou was selected fourth overall in the 1966 NBA Draft by the St. Louis Hawks. He finished second in rookie of the year voting in his debut season and spent his first eleven seasons with the Hawks. His early years were his best, as he made six consecutive All-Star appearances between 1968 and 1973. During that time, 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 Hawks’ third overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft. He only spent his first four seasons with Atlanta, but averaged 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals during that time . In his final two seasons with the Hawks, he made the All-Star team and received MVP votes three times. They traded him to the New Orleans Jazz in 1974 and Maravich finished 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 few players to have his number retired by multiple organizations, but that shows how special he was. Dikembe was the fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, but was signed by the Atlanta Hawks in 1996. He made an immediate impact with the Hawks, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in three of his five seasons in the ATL. It’s easy to see why: Mutombo averaged 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game during that span. He played his final year with the Hawks in 2001 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.