Ranking 5 best Hawks players of all time
Trae Young, currently Atlanta Hawks' biggest superstar, is wowing the crowd with his 3-point shooting that some believe could even surpass Steph Curry's records.
However, Young has still not caught up with the Hawks' best players.
Here are the five best Atlanta Hawks players whom Young will need to outperform if he wants to become the franchise's GOAT.
#5 Al Horford (2007-2016)
Al Horford started his career with the Atlanta Hawks after they drafted him third overall in 2007, just behind Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.
Although he had to play in the shadow of Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, Horford worked his way up, eventually earning All-Star appearances in 2010 and 2011.
Despite injuries later in his career, his 2014-15 campaign earned him a place among the Hawks' best players, as he led them to a 60-22 record alongside Marvin Williams, Jeff Teague, and Kyle Korver.
Atlanta made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the closest the franchise had been to the title since their dominance in St. Louis during the late '50s and early '60s.
Horford averaged 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks a game as a Hawk.
#4 Dikembe Mutombo (1996-2001)
Dikembe Mutombo seemed to have found a home in Denver when the Nuggets took him fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft. He said he wanted to stay with them for at least 10 years.
Denver's owner, Bernie Bickerstaff, denied Mutombo's request and eventually let him go.
The Nuggets' loss became Atlanta Hawks' gain as they signed him for $55 million on a five-year deal.
Mutombo, with his solid interior defence and improved offence, became Atlanta's cornerstone along with Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock. However, his road to a championship was derailed by the dominant Chicago Bulls.
Some believed that Mutombo's impressive performance for the Eastern Conference All-Stars, coached by Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown, in the 2001 All-Star Game helped him get a trade to Philadelphia.
As a Hawk, Mutombo averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game.
#3 Cliff Hagan (1956-1966)
One of the players responsible for the Hawks' dominance in St. Louis was Cliff Hagan.
Ben Kerner, the Hawks' owner at the time, lobbied for Hagan to be included just to ensure the Ed Macauley - Bill Russell trade was a go.
While the move was really meant to acquire Macauley, it was Hagan who became a bigger star for St. Louis, averaging 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in his 10-season stay, helping the team make it to the NBA Finals multiple times and emerging victorious in 1958.
#2 Dominique Wilkins (1982-1994)
Needless to say, Dominique Wilkins became a household name in the NBA due to his dunks; however, in Atlanta, he did a lot more than just punish the rim.
Wilkins averaged 24.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in his 12 seasons with Atlanta.
Highlighting his dominance as a Hawk was the fact that he was in a race with Michael Jordan not just for dunks but also for points early in his career.
When Jordan first decided to retire from professional basketball ahead of the 1993-94 NBA season, the Hawks seemed to have a golden chance to finally win a title.
However, in a shocking midseason trade, Wilkins was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning.
Following his retirement in 1999, Wilkins went down in history as one of the best NBA players to have never won a championship.
#1 Bob Pettit (1954-1965)
Bob Pettit is undoubtedly the Hawks' best player, having led the team, then based in St. Louis, to its one and only NBA title in 1958.
He is also the only Hawk to have won the regular season's Most Valuable Player award (although the award was only introduced in 1957).
He never left the franchise since he was drafted second overall in the 1954 NBA Draft.
According to reports, when Pettit was drafted, the Hawks were set to move from Milwaukee to St. Louis, and when he decided to retire, they were already thinking of moving to Atlanta.