“Rest In Peace”: Hawks Community Mourns As Atlanta Legend & Ex-Owner Dies at 93

May 2, 1968. A monumental day in Atlanta’s history. That’s when real estate tycoon Tom Cousins and former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders purchased the St. Louis Hawks and relocated the team to the Deep South. Now known as the Atlanta Hawks, that moment sparked the beginning of a new era in the city. Unfortunately, the man who started it all, Tom Cousins, is no longer with us.

According to a person close to his family, Tom passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93. He reportedly took his final breath at a hospital in Florida. That’s a tragic loss for the community, as AJ Robinson, chief executive of Central Atlanta Progress, highlighted Cousins’ massive impact: “He was one of the few important pillars the entire community has been built upon in the last 40 years.”

Even the Hawks organization mourned the loss of their former owner and released an official statement, “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Tom Cousins, a visionary builder of communities, unmatched philanthropist, and a former Hawks owner who had an enduring impact on the city’s sports landscape and the geographic footprint that now makes up our thriving Downtown Atlanta region. Developed by Cousins, the original home of the Hawks – the Omni Coliseum – shaped fans, memories, and downtown for a quarter of a century.”

Well, Cousins truly brought a sports revolution to Atlanta. Just four years after bringing the Hawks to the city, he purchased an expansion franchise from the NHL, the Flames. Although he eventually sold the Hawks in 1977, followed by the Flames in 1980 due to financial constraints, his bringing the NBA and NHL to Atlanta paved the way for the city to be recognized as a sports town. Further highlighting Tom’s impact, the Hawks’ statement continued, “Mr. Cousins… moved the Hawks from St. Louis to Atlanta in 1968, affirming Atlanta as a major metropolitan sports city and hub for the southeast. He was also a transformative leader in the community, whose many projects included the revitalization of Atlanta’s East Lake neighborhood.”

Sure, bringing major sports leagues to Atlanta was a big deal. But Cousins’ biggest achievement was the role he played in the city’s overall development. As a real estate tycoon and philanthropist, he transformed the struggling East Lake Meadows public housing complex into a thriving community. He believed in the city when no one else did. “We were going to basically fund the unfundable. And we were going to try to get some solutions to these problems.” Tom said in 2013. That’s why the Hawks, along with the entire city of Atlanta, will be forever grateful. “We are grateful for his legacy and the countless lives he impacted.”

Hawks fanbase credits Tom Cousins for forever changing Atlanta amid condolences on his passing

Similar to the Hawks, the entire Atlanta community mourned the legend’s passing. Comments like “Rest In Peace to Atlanta legend Tom Cousins. His imprint on the city will last forever,” and “He forever changed Atlanta and the skyline will always have his fingerprints on it” began flooding in. When you look at the red marble Bank of America plaza on Peachtree Street, which at the time of construction was the tallest building in America outside Chicago and New York, you can credit Cousins for it.

“RIP to the man who saw the vision,” One heartbroken fan wrote. From his involvement in sports, to real estate development, to even politics, Tom left his fingerprints everywhere, and Atlanta thanks him for it. That’s why even Hawks media legend Bob Rathbun shed a tear following Cousins’ sudden demise.

His longtime friend Billy Payne summed it up best in his 2006 statement, “Tom’s most significant contribution to Atlanta would be that… he’s been the shining example that kindness to others, great business intellect, love for his community and faith in his Lord can inspire the generations that follow him.” Rest in peace, legend. You leave behind an untouchable legacy.