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Team Profile
Atlanta Hawks: Five things you need to know
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Highlights
Atlanta Hawks: Dyson Daniels leads the next chapter of one of the NBA's oldest franchises
- Australian Dyson Daniels leads the Hawks' next era after nearly 80 years of franchise history.
- Atlanta's only NBA championship came in 1958, but its legacy spans five cities and countless stars.
- From Bob Pettit to Dominique Wilkins, every Hawks era has been built on reinvention and exciting basketball.
There are few better reasons for Australian basketball fans to follow the Atlanta Hawks than Dyson Daniels.
The Australian Boomers starting guard has developed into one of the NBA's elite two-way players and, following the departure of Trae Young, now sits at the centre of Atlanta's next era. Already recognised as one of basketball's best perimeter defenders, Daniels has become the face of a young Hawks team determined to return one of the league's oldest franchises to championship contention.
For a franchise approaching its 80th season, reinvention has become part of its identity.
Long before Atlanta became home in 1968, the Hawks had already travelled across America, won an NBA championship in St. Louis and established themselves as one of professional basketball's foundation clubs. Every generation has brought a new superstar, a new style and a new ambition.
From Bob Pettit building a champion in the 1950s, to Dominique Wilkins soaring above defenders in the 1980s, Dikembe Mutombo anchoring elite defences in the 1990s and today's young core led by Daniels, the Hawks have rarely stood still.
The next chapter may become Australia's.
Australians who have played for the Atlanta Hawks
No Australian has made a greater impact on the Atlanta Hawks than Victorian Dyson Daniels.
After arriving in Atlanta before the 2024-25 season, Daniels rapidly emerged as one of the NBA's premier defensive players. Nicknamed the "Great Barrier Thief", he led the league in steals, set a new NBA single-season record for deflections and earned NBA Most Improved Player honours along with selection in the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
More importantly for the Hawks, Daniels became the cornerstone of the franchise's rebuild. His versatility allows him to defend every perimeter position, ignite fast breaks and set the tone with relentless energy on both ends of the floor.
Fellow Australian Jock Landale also joined the Hawks during the 2026 season, adding valuable experience and depth to Atlanta's frontcourt after establishing himself as a reliable NBA centre.
The Hawks also drafted Australian big man David Andersen with the 37th overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft. Although Andersen never played a regular-season game for Atlanta after being traded before making his NBA debut, he remains part of the franchise's Australian history.
With Daniels now leading Atlanta's young core, the Hawks have become one of the NBA's most compelling teams for Australian fans to follow.
2026-27 team snapshot
The Hawks enter the new season embracing a new direction.
The departure of Trae Young at the 2026 trade deadline signalled the end of one of the most successful periods in recent franchise history and the beginning of a new era built around youth, defence and versatility.
Daniels now headlines that movement along with Australian Boomers teammate Jock Landale, who signed a USD $14M one-year deal.
Already regarded as one of the NBA's elite perimeter defenders, the Australian has become one of Atlanta's leaders on both ends of the floor. His ability to disrupt opposing offences, create transition opportunities and impact winning without dominating the ball makes him the ideal foundation for head coach Quin Snyder.
Alongside Daniels, forward Jalen Johnson continues his rise after establishing himself as one of the Eastern Conference's most versatile young forwards. Former No.1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher remains central to Atlanta's long-term plans, bringing size, shooting and two-way potential to one of the NBA's youngest starting groups.
Rather than chasing a quick fix, Atlanta has committed to developing a roster capable of competing together for years to come.
Why the Hawks matter
Every great NBA franchise has a story.
The Boston Celtics built a dynasty.
The Los Angeles Lakers became basketball's glamour club.
The San Antonio Spurs defined sustained excellence.
The Hawks have mastered reinvention.
Few organisations have changed cities, styles and stars as often while remaining relevant across nearly eight decades. From championship contenders in St. Louis to the high-flying Dominique Wilkins years, from the unselfish 60-win team of 2015 to today's athletic, defence-first roster, Atlanta has continually adapted to basketball's changing landscape.
That willingness to evolve has kept the Hawks among the NBA's most enduring franchises.
The Bob Pettit era: Building a champion
The Hawks' greatest triumph happened before they ever played a game in Atlanta.
Founded in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons, the franchise moved to the Tri-Cities before relocating to Milwaukee and eventually settling in St. Louis in 1955.
Everything changed when Bob Pettit arrived.
One of basketball's first genuine superstars, Pettit became the NBA's inaugural Most Valuable Player and transformed the Hawks into perennial contenders. Between 1957 and 1961, St. Louis reached the NBA Finals four times, facing the mighty Celtics in each appearance.
The breakthrough came in 1958.
Facing a Boston team led by Bill Russell, Pettit delivered one of the greatest performances in Finals history, scoring 50 points in the championship-clinching Game 6 to secure the Hawks' first – and still only – NBA title.
Nearly seven decades later, every Atlanta team continues to chase the standard established by Pettit.
Dominique Wilkins made Atlanta unforgettable
If Bob Pettit built the Hawks, Dominique Wilkins gave the franchise its identity.
Selected by Atlanta in 1982, Wilkins quickly became one of basketball's most electrifying players.
Nicknamed the "Human Highlight Reel", he combined breathtaking athleticism with relentless scoring, turning the Hawks into one of the NBA's biggest attractions throughout the 1980s.
Atlanta won at least 50 games in four of five seasons between 1985 and 1989, becoming a regular playoff contender in the Eastern Conference.
His legendary Slam Dunk Contest rivalry with Michael Jordan remains one of the defining moments in NBA history, while teammate Spud Webb stunned the basketball world by winning the 1986 contest despite standing just 170cm.
Wilkins retired as the Hawks' all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points, a record that still stands today.
His legacy extends far beyond statistics. He transformed the Hawks into must-watch basketball and ensured Atlanta would forever have one of the NBA's most recognisable identities.
Dikembe Mutombo turned Atlanta into a defensive powerhouse
As the NBA evolved through the 1990s, so did the Hawks.
The high-flying style of the Dominique Wilkins years gave way to a tougher, defence-first identity built around one of the greatest shot blockers in basketball history, Dikembe Mutombo.
Acquired before the 1996-97 season, Mutombo immediately transformed Atlanta into one of the Eastern Conference's elite defensive teams. His presence in the paint, rebounding and trademark finger wag became synonymous with the Hawks as they won 56 games in his first season.
Mutombo claimed back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards while in Atlanta and helped the Hawks become one of the league's most difficult teams to score against. Although the franchise never reached the NBA Finals during his tenure, it remained a consistent playoff contender and one of the Eastern Conference's toughest opponents.
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The beautiful basketball of 2015
Few teams in NBA history have played more unselfish basketball than the 2014-15 Hawks.
Under head coach Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta became the surprise story of the season, winning a franchise-record 60 games without a traditional superstar.
Instead, the Hawks overwhelmed opponents through elite ball movement, spacing and team defence.
Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver were all selected as All-Stars after leading Atlanta to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals before eventually losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that team remains one of the greatest examples of collective basketball succeeding over individual star power.
The Trae Young era
When Atlanta traded the draft rights to Luka Dončić on draft night in 2018 in exchange for Trae Young and a future first-round pick, the decision was immediately scrutinised across the basketball world.
Young embraced the challenge. One of the NBA's most creative offensive players, he quickly established himself as one of the league's elite scorers and playmakers while becoming the face of the franchise.
His defining moment came during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Atlanta upset the New York Knicks before stunning the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the now infamous Ben Simmons didn't dunk series to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015.
Although the Hawks fell to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, the run restored belief that Atlanta could once again compete with the NBA's elite.
Young's tenure ended when he was traded to the Washington Wizards during the 2026 season, closing one of the most successful chapters in modern Hawks history.
The greatest Hawks of all time
Every era has produced a player who defined Atlanta basketball.
Bob Pettit remains the franchise's greatest winner, leading the Hawks to their only NBA championship while becoming the NBA's first Most Valuable Player.
Dominique Wilkins transformed the Hawks into one of basketball's biggest attractions, retiring as the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
Pete Maravich thrilled crowds with his creativity, while Lou Hudson established himself as one of the league's most consistent scorers during the 1970s.
Dikembe Mutombo anchored elite defensive teams throughout the late 1990s, and Joe Johnson provided stability as Atlanta returned to the playoffs in the late 2000s.
Trae Young reignited the franchise with a memorable run to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, while Dyson Daniels is now writing the next Australian chapter.
Five Fast Facts
1. The Hawks have represented five different cities: Buffalo, Tri-Cities, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Atlanta.
2. The franchise's only NBA championship came in 1958 while based in St. Louis.
3. Dominique Wilkins remains Atlanta's all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points.
4. Four Hawks were selected as NBA All-Stars during the franchise-record 60-win season in 2014-15.
5. The Hawks reached the playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons between 2008 and 2017.
Historical Timeline
- 1946: Franchise founded as the Buffalo Bisons.
- 1946: Relocated to become the Tri-Cities Blackhawks.
- 1951: Moved to Milwaukee.
- 1955: Relocated to St. Louis.
- 1958: Won the NBA championship behind Bob Pettit.
- 1968: Franchise relocated to Atlanta.
- 1982: Drafted Dominique Wilkins.
- 1997: Dikembe Mutombo won the first of back-to-back NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards with Atlanta.
- 2015: Won a franchise-record 60 games and reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
- 2021: Returned to the Eastern Conference Finals behind Trae Young.
- 2025: Dyson Daniels won NBA Most Improved Player and earned NBA All-Defensive First Team honours.
Looking ahead
Few NBA franchises have evolved as often as the Atlanta Hawks.
They have won championships in St. Louis, become one of basketball's most exciting teams under Dominique Wilkins, built elite defensive teams around Dikembe Mutombo and shown how selfless basketball can produce extraordinary success through the 60-win team of 2015.
Today, another new chapter is underway.
With Dyson Daniels emerging as one of the NBA's premier two-way guards, Jalen Johnson continuing his development and Zaccharie Risacher representing the future, Atlanta has committed to building around youth, versatility and defence.
History suggests the Hawks are never afraid to reinvent themselves.
If the past eight decades have taught us anything, it's that every great Hawks era begins with a new face of the franchise. For Australian basketball fans, that face is now Dyson Daniels.
