NBA
Top 5 Hawks Players of All-Time + Fan Rankings
Create your own all-time rankings of the top 5 greatest players in Atlanta Hawks history from Dominique Wilkins to Lou Hudson to Al Horford
PSO Images
As Atlanta Hawks fans celebrate their franchise player Trae Young on his 24th birthday, it’s a great time to look at the top 5 greatest Atlanta Hawks players of all time with him potentially topping the list one day.
Alex Raphael also contributed to these Atlanta Hawks rankings.
The Atlanta Hawks, formally known as the Milwaukee and St. Louis Hawks, have been around since the first season in 1949-1950. Moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1968, the Hawks have had their share of great players throughout their history. This team was one of the original organizations that were added to the NBA when the league was established in 1949.
While their lone championship win and only four Finals appearances were when they were located in St. Louis, Atlanta has been a great home for basketball over the years. They are just one of four teams in NBA history to be qualified to play in the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons when they did so from 2008-2017, helping fans hit on their NBA parlays during that time.
The Hawks have had some down years over their journey, but the players they have acquired or drafted over time have been nothing but entertaining. For instance, competitors like the “The Human Highlight Film” in Dominique Wilkins or “Sweet Lou” Hudson would be players that would sell out tickets for the Hawks. Not often do fans talk about how great some Atlanta Hawks have been because they aren’t as successful as other teams but their all-time Mount Rushmore is pretty solid.
Honorable mention includes: SG/SF Joe Johnson, SF/PF John Drew, PF Bill Bridges, and PF/C Kevin Willis. PG Trae Young is certainly on pace to one day make it onto this list.
Here are the top 5 greatest Atlanta Hawks of all time. Create your own rankings below!
– 1958 NBA Champ; 2x MVP; 11x All-Star; 1955 NBA ROY
– Hawks leader in REB (12,849), FTM (6,182), & RPG (16.2)
– #9 retired by ATL; Most PPG (31.1), RPG (20.3) in 1 season
Before the Hawks relocated to Atlanta, Bob Petit would be selected to the All-NBA team in each of his 11 seasons. He even took home the very first MVP award in 1956, then did so again in 1959 while locking up the scoring title in both years, and has a championship to show for his on-court excellence.
https://twitter.com/PSO_Sports/status/1494823272306860037
– 9x All-Star; 1983 All-Rookie; 2x NBA Dunk Contest winner
– 1986 All-NBA 1st Team, 4x NBA 2nd team; #21 retired
– Hawks career PTS (23,292), FGM (8,752), & GP (882) leader
Aside from Dominique Wilkins’ dunk contest duel with Michael Jordan, he hoists some hardy awards such as being a 9x All-Star and 7x All-NBA teamer. A lack of success in the post-season plagues his reputation as a winner, yet he’s still considered one of the greats and a scoring machine in the ‘A’.
Dominique Wilkins' #Hawks records:
– Career PTS (23,292), & PPG (26.4), GP (882), FGM (8,752)
– Season FGM (909)
– Seasons (12) with 20+ PPG
– Career GP of 10+ to 50+ PTS
– T-most PTS (50) & FGM (19) in 1 Playoff GP
pic.twitter.com/SFiz57szJj— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) February 24, 2022
– 1958 NBA Champ; 5x NBA All-Star; 2x All-NBA 2nd team
– NBA leader in GP (72) during the 1958-59 season
– 18 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 45% FG, 79.8% FT with ATL
Rewinding to the NBA’s hay day, Cliff Hagan made up half of the fiercest forward-pairs that the Hawks franchise has ever possessed. Co-piloting with Petit, Hagan landed on two All-NBA teams, one coming the year of the Hawks’ first and only championship.
– 6x All-Star; 1966-67 NBA leader in PPG (18.4); #23 retired
– 1970 All-NBA 2nd Team; 1967 NBA All-Rookie Team
– Scored the 1st ever FGM in Atlanta Hawks history
A legendary wing to play for the Hawks was Lou Hudson who had 22 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. This 6’5″ scoring fiend posted 27.1 PPG in his peak year of 1972-73. Despite never clearing many post-season hurdles, Hudson racked up plenty of accolades during his 11-year stay with the Hawks.
– 4x All-Star; 2011 All-NBA 3rd Team; 14.3 PPG & 8.9 RPG
– Only player unanimously selected to 2008 All-Rookie Team
– ATL season leader among Centers in 3PM (88) & AST (266)
A nine-year member of Atlanta was Al Horford who participated in four All-Star games while in the ‘A’. In 2015, Horford led the charge of an all-time Atlanta squad, notching 60 wins for the first time in franchise history. Ultimately, Horford’s consistency garners recognition as an ATL legend.
Al Horford's #Hawks records:
– Seasons (8) of 10+ PPG & 1+ BPG
– GP (184) of 15+ PTS & 60+ FG%
– Playoff GP of 1+ BLK (52) or 50+ FG% (40)
– Consecutive GP (31) of 40+ FG%
– Career AST (1,589) & FGM (3,544) by a Center pic.twitter.com/D5fJgCBXyw— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) September 20, 2022
Help Pro Sports Outlook continue to grow:
– Share your top 5 Atlanta Hawks player rankings with friends
– Click FOLLOW for high-quality sports content delivered to your email or your platform of choice
– Follow @PSO_Sports on Twitter & Instagram | Pro Sports Outlook on YouTube, Facebook, & LinkedIn
– Get 10% off all exclusive PSO designed sports t-shirts & jerseys on FanGearNation.com: Code PSO10 at check out
