Atlanta Hawks in History

Events in Sport

  • 1972-01-07 Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Atlanta Hawks, 134-90 for their 33rd straight win, the longest winning streak in major professional sports

NBA Record

1973-04-01 Boston Celtics captain John Havlicek scores career high 54 points in 134-109 rout of Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of 1st round Eastern Conference playoffs; hits NBA playoff record 24-of-36 field-goal attempts

  • 1975-10-08 San Antonio Spurs, then members of the ABA, defeat the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, 109-107 in the first basketball game ever played in the Louisiana Superdome
  • 1976-01-28 NBA Atlanta Hawks begin a 28 game road losing streak
  • 1976-11-24 NBA Atlanta Hawks end a 28 game road losing streak
  • 1986-02-08 5' 7" Spud Webb of Atlanta Hawks wins NBA Slam Dunk Competition

NBA Record

1990-11-03 Atlanta Hawks' center Moses Malone sets an NBA record for free throws made in a career by hitting 7-of-9 in a 121-120 win over Indiana Pacers at the Omni; passes Oscar Robinson's record (7,694)

Wilkens Sets New Win Record

1995-01-06 Atlanta Hawks' coach Lenny Wilkens passes the legendary Red Auerbach to become the NBA's all-time winningest coach, with 939 career victories; Hawks beat Washington, 112-90 at the Omni

  • 1998-03-27 Chicago Bulls - Atlanta Hawks matchup at Georgia Dome in Atlanta, draws a crowd of 62,046, largest in any game in NBA history; Bulls win, 89-74
  • 2001-01-13 Atlanta Hawks retire Dominique Wilkins' No. 21 in pre-game ceremonies at Philips Arena; joins Bob Pettit and Lou Hudson as the only Hawks to have their numbers retired
  • 2015-01-31 Atlanta Hawks set a new NBA monthly win record as they move to 17-0 for January, with a 91-85 win against the Philadelphia 76ers
  • 2019-03-19 Houston Rockets guard James Harden becomes first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points against all 29 opponents in a single season with 31 in a 121-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks

Birthdays in Sport

  • 1927-03-22 Marty Blake, NBA executive (GM Atlanta Hawks, NBA Director of Scouting), born in Wyoming, PA (d. 2013)
  • 1931-10-07 Cotton Fitzsimmons, American Basketball HOF coach (NJCAA C'ship 1966, 67, Moberly Area CC; Kansas State; NBA: Phoenix Suns; Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs), born in Hannibal, Missouri (d. 2004)

Pete Maravich (1947-1988)

1947-06-22 American Basketball HOF guard (5 × NBA All-Star; All-NBA First Team 1976, 77; NBA scoring champion 1977 NO/Utah Jazz; Atlanta Hawks), born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

  • 1954-09-30 John Drew, American basketball small forward (NBA All-Star 1976, 80; Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz), born in Vredenburgh, Alabama (d. 2022)

Moses Malone (1955-2015)

1955-03-23 Basketball Hall of Fame center (NBA MVP 1979, 82-83; NBA Finals MVP 1983; 12 x NBA All Star; Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers), born in Petersburg, Virginia,

  • 1957-11-25 Terry Stotts, American basketball head coach (Portland Trail Blazers 2012-19; Atlanta Hawks 2002-04; Milwaukee Bucks 2005-07), born in Cedar Falls, Iowa
  • 1958-04-02 Larry Drew, American basketball point guard (Kansas City/Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, LA Lakers) and coach (Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers), born in Kansas City, Kansas
  • 1960-01-12 Dominique Wilkins, American Basketball HOF forward (9 × NBA All-Star 1986–94; NBA scoring champion 1986; NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion 1985, 90; Atlanta Hawks), born in Paris, France
  • 1961-08-11 Craig Ehlo, American NBA basketball guard (Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, and 2 other teams), born in Lubbock, Texas
  • 1961-10-13 Doc Rivers, American NBA guard, 1983-96 (Atlanta Hawks and 3 other teams), and head coach, 1999-present (Orlando Magic (NBA Coach of the Year, 2000); Boston Celtics; LA Clippers; Philadelphia 76ers), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1962-09-06 Kevin Willis, American basketball center (NBA C'ship 2003 SA Spurs; NBA All-Star 1992 Atlanta Hawks; one of 15 players 16,000+ career points & 11,000+ rebounds), born in Los Angeles, California
  • 1962-11-13 Blair Rasmussen, American NBA basketball center; 1985-93 (Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks), born in Auburn, Washington
  • 1962-12-31 Tyrone Corbin, American basketball forward (Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks) and coach (Utah Jazz 2011-14), born in Columbia, South Carolina
  • 1964-06-22 Greg Anderson, NBA forward/center (San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks)
  • 1966-06-25 Dikembe Mutombo, Congolese-American NBA center (Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets), born in Leopoldville, Congo
  • 1967-03-20 Mookie Blaylock, NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks)
  • 1967-06-05 Matt Bullard, NBA forward, 1990-2002 (Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets), born in Des Moines, Iowa
  • 1967-12-14 Eldridge Recasner, American NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1969-03-31 Steve Smith, American NBA guard (14 NBA seasons, Olympic gold 2000), born in Highfield Park, MI
  • 1969-08-06 Mike Budenholzer, American basketball head coach (Milwaukee Bucks 2018-19; Atlanta Hawks 2013-18; NBA Coach of the Year 2015, 19), born in Holbrook, Arizona
  • 1969-08-17 Christian Laettner, American NBA forward/center (Atlanta Hawks, Olympic gold 1992), born in Angola, New York
  • 1972-12-02 Alan Henderson, American basketball forward (NBA Most Improved Player 1998; Atlanta Hawks), born in Morgantown, West Virginia
  • 1973-02-17 Drew Barry, NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks)
  • 1975-09-27 Ed Gray, NBA guard (Atlanta Hawks)
  • 1976-05-11 Lloyd Pierce, American basketball head coach (Atlanta Hawks 2019), born in San Jose, California
  • 1978-12-02 Jason Collins, American NBA basketball center, 2001-14 (first openly gay athlete to play in any major North American pro sports league; New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and 5 other teams), born in Northridge, California
  • 1998-09-19 Trae Young, American NBA player (Atlanta Hawks), born in Lubbock, Texas

Deaths in Sport

Pete Maravich (1947-1988)

1988-01-05 American Basketball HOF guard (5 × NBA All-Star; All-NBA First Team 1976, 77; NBA scoring champion 1977 NO/Utah Jazz; Atlanta Hawks), dies of heart failure at 40

  • 2004-07-24 Cotton Fitzsimmons, American Basketball HOF coach (NJCAA C'ship 1966, 67, Moberly Area CC; Kansas State; NBA: Phoenix Suns; Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs), dies of lung cancer and stroke at 72
  • 2013-04-07 Marty Blake, NBA executive (GM Atlanta Hawks, NBA Director of Scouting), dies at 86
  • 2020-05-07 Mike Storen, American sports executive (Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks; ABA Commissioner 1973-76), dies from cancer at 84
  • 2022-04-10 John Drew, American basketball small forward (NBA All-Star 1976, 80; Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz), dies from bone cancer at 67