Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks 2021: News, Schedule, Roster, Score, Injury Report

The Atlanta Hawks compete in the NBA as a part of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks suffer the second-longest drought of not winning an NBA championship. 

The latest version of the Atlanta Hawks logo was introduced during the 2015/16 season, and it saw the return of the famous “Pac-Hawk” to the design. The Hawk is centered inside a red roundel which contains the team’s name arched at the top and the bottom. 

The Atlanta Hawks play their home games at the State Farm Arena. The multi-purpose arena was opened in 1999 and the Hawks made it their home ever since.

 After being renamed in 2018 due to sponsorship reasons, the arena underwent minor renovations and can now hold 16,600 spectators during NBA games and over 21,000 fans during concerts! 

Who owns the Atlanta Hawks?

Private equity giant and venture capitalist Antony Ressler owns the controlling rights of the Atlanta Hawks. The Beverly Hills-based business tycoon owns a major share of the franchise, which he bought in 2015 for approximately $850 million. 

Ressler is a hugely successful businessman whose net worth is estimated to be $3.9 billion by Forbes. However, he put together a group of minority owners before he purchased the Hawks from former owner Bruce Levenson. Former NBA player Grant Hill also owns a minority stake in the franchise. 

Head Coach and Top Executives 

Former professional basketball Lloyd Pierce has been serving as the Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks since 2018. The franchise appointed him after Mike Budenholzer agreed to part ways with the team upon completing five years with them. 

Lloyd is the 29th HC of the Hawks franchise, and he is yet to post a winning season with the team. 

Furthermore, Travis Schlenk, a veteran NBA executive, fills two important spots in the franchise. He is both the General Manager and the President and was promoted to the role in 2017. Schlenk previously worked with the Golden State Warriors, where he was the Assistant General Manager. 

History 

The team was originally founded in New York as the Buffalo Bisons. They competed in the NBL but relocated to Moline, Illinois, just over a month after their inception. Several relocations from Illinois, to Milwaukee, to St. Louis kept the franchise on their toes and their fanbase as well. 

The team finally moved to Atlanta in 1968  and has stayed there ever since. The Milwaukee Hawks, as they were known then, signed future Hall of Famer Bob Pettit with the second overall pick in the 1954 NBA Draft. 

Pettit won both his MVP awards with the Hawks and played 11 seasons with the franchise until his retirement. During Pettit’s era, the Hawks were frontrunners in the West and reached four NBA Finals in five years (1957-61). 

Their sole championship triumph came when they beat the Boston Celtics in the 1958 finals after being outplayed by them in the previous year’s edition. The Hawks reached the finals again in 1961 and 1962, but the Celtics dominated and beat them in both years. 

The 70s era was different for the franchise as they hardly made it to the playoffs, and even if they did, it was a first-round knockout. Several talented athletes played for the Hawks during the 80s and the 90s, including Hall of Famers Dominique Wilkins and Dikembe Mutombo.

Playoff success came rarely for the Hawks, even though they topped their division on certain occasions. 

Trae Young is the current foundational block of the franchise. The 6’1” point guard has garnered ample fan following for himself through his exciting talent and a lethal shooting arm. 

Atlanta Hawks: Mascot and Uniform

Just as their name suggests, the team’s official mascot is named “Harry the Hawk.” He is a fan favorite in the Atlanta area and is also touted to be the most popular bird there! 

According to the Hawks, Harry “hatched” on Oct 25, 1986, and has been around the team, trying to help them win an NBA championship. 

Moving on to the Hawks’ uniforms, their primary colors are red, yellow, black, and gray, These colors contain deep shades and dominate the team’s jerseys. The team also collaborates with Nike to develop special “City” uniforms that pay tribute to the city of Atlanta in various ways. 

Team’s Sponsors 

The Atlanta Hawks have established partnerships with companies such as JP Morgan Chase and health and wellness company Sharecare. Their jersey sponsors are also Sharecare, and their partnership also bestowed with the 2017-2018 NBA Partnership of the Year award! 

Besides these companies, the franchise also has tie-ups with BMW, Delta Airlines, and Orreco. 

History and Achievements 

Atlanta Hawks 2021 Roster