Atlanta Hawks Tickets

The Atlanta Hawks started life as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946 and were a part of the NBL (National Basketball League), but they didn't last long in this carnation.

Within 38 days, and 13 games, they had been moved away from Buffalo due to a distinct lack of interest from the locals, and GM and co-owner Leo Ferris opted to move them to Moline in Illinois, and they subsequently changed their name to the Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

It was in this format they joined the NBA (National Basketball Association) as a founding member in 1949. In their first season, they reached the playoffs under legendary coach Red Auerbach.

NBA Title Success

In 1951 the team was on the move again as they became the Milwaukee Hawks between 1951-55 and three years later the St. Louis Hawks.

It was in this guise in 1957-58 that the team secured their first and only NBA Championship.

In this season, they saw off the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in six games, and this was part of a run of five successive finishes at the top of the Western Conference.

In three of their final five seasons as the St. Louis Hawks, they were dumped out of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.

On the Move Again

By 1968 the team had outgrown their Kiel Auditorium home, and they elected to move to Atlanta, relocating to become the Atlanta Hawks, and those first few years in their new home were relatively successful, with the likes of Pete Maravich and Lou Hudson impressing.

The 80s proved successful, with Atlanta Hawks hero Dominique Wilkins proving a fan favorite though they didn't manage to break their way back to the NBA Finals, which is something of a failure when you consider the quality of the team they had in place, especially during the period where Mike Fratello was head coach.

There were signs of improvement in 2007-08 when they completed their first winning season in ten seasons before they were thrashed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Semi-Finals in four games.

Southeast Division Rivals

In recent seasons the Atlanta Hawks have invariably made it out of the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference, only to then fall away disappointingly in the playoffs.

Their biggest rivals are arguably the Orlando Magic, and their rivalry is based on their shared position in the Southeast Division, which also includes the following teams, the Miami Heat, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards.

State Farm Arena Guide

The Atlanta Hawks play their home games at the State Farm Arena, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia.

The venue has a capacity of 17,624 for basketball games.