The Atlanta Hawks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

Fadeaway World’s all-time GOAT pyramid series for every NBA franchise has reached its final stretch with just four teams remaining to be revealed from the field of 30. Today’s franchise is one of the oldest and most recognized franchises in the NBA today, the Atlanta Hawks. 

As one of the oldest franchises in NBA history, the Atlanta Hawks have a long and storied history. Founded in 1949-50 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, the franchise is currently in its 75th season in 2023-24, and its 55th season in the City of Atlanta. Unfortunately for the team and their fans, the last 75 seasons haven’t been pretty with just one NBA championship and an overall winning percentage of 49.3%.

Despite that fact, the Hawks have been home to some of the biggest names in basketball history from the days of old to the present day. The 25 greatest players will be placed into tiers based solely on how they performed with the Atlanta Hawks franchise in their careers. If you are unfamiliar with our previous franchise GOAT pyramids, the most recent entries can be found here:

. - The Los Angeles Lakers All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Chicago Bulls All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Golden State Warriors All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Boston Celtics All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Detroit Pistons All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Miami Heat All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Houston Rockets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Brooklyn Nets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The New York Knicks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Milwaukee Bucks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Denver Nuggets All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Orlando Magic All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Indiana Pacers All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Washington Wizards All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Utah Jazz All-Time Goat Pyramid

- The Portland Trail Blazers All-Time GOAT Pyramid

- The Toronto Raptors All-Time GOAT Pyramid

Now that the rules and guidelines have been explained further, we can proceed with the coronation of the franchise GOATs for the Atlanta Hawks.

Tier 1

Bob Pettit, Dominique Wilkins

As the only league MVP and player to lead the Hawks to an NBA championship in franchise history, Bob Pettit remains a franchise GOAT of the Atlanta Hawks. Pettit had a relatively short career with the Hawks from 1955 through 1965 but in those 11 seasons did more for the franchise than any player ever has.

Pettit was an All-Star all 11 seasons of his career with the Hawks, averaging 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. Pettit was also named a two-time MVP in 1956 and 1959 while winning scoring titles in both of those seasons as well. In 1958, Pettit led the Hawks to their only championship in franchise history, becoming the only man to go toe-to-toe with Bill Russell and the Celtics in the NBA Finals to come out on top. To this day, Pettit remains first in team history with 12,849 rebounds and second with 20,880 points.

While he never delivered an NBA championship to the City of Atlanta, one cannot mention the Atlanta Hawks without sparking a discussion about Dominique Wilkins. From 1983 through 1994, Wilkins went toe-to-toe with the best the NBA had to offer as a member of the Atlanta Hawks as a high-scoring offensive machine with athletic abilities few could match.

In 12 seasons with the Hawks, Wilkins became their all-time leading scorer with 23,292 points as well as a nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA Team selection, and the 1989 scoring champ. He averaged 26.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in 882 games played with Atlanta and is easily the most recognizable and iconic player in franchise history.

Tier 2

Lou Hudson, Cliff Hagan, Dikembe Mutombo

Known for his silky smooth jump shot, “Sweet” Lou Hudson spent 11 of his 13 seasons in the NBA with the Hawks from 1967 through 1977. With the Hawks, Hudson would average 22.0 points per game on 48.7% shooting from the field. He is currently their third all-time leading scorer with 16,049 points and ranks fifth in points per game. He also earned six All-Star selections and an All-NBA Team selection in 1970.

Cliff Hagan is another member of the 1958 championship team for the Hawks. Hagan spent 10 seasons with the Hawks when they were in St. Louis from 1957 through 1966. During that time, Hagan averaged 18.0 points and 6.9 assists per game with five All-Star and two All-NBA Team selections along with the title in which he averaged 25.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to take down the Celtics.

The final member of Tier 2 in Atlanta Hawks history is the greatest defensive player in the history of the franchise, Dikembe Mutombo. Not only is Mutombo one of three players to block over 1,000 shots for the Hawks but he is also the winner of multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards with the team from 1997 through 2001. In those four-plus seasons, Mutombo averaged 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, and an incredible 3.2 blocks per game.

Tier 3

Trae Young, Joe Johnson, Mookie Blaylock, Al Horford, Pete Maravich, Lenny Wilkens

In the last six seasons, Trae Young has ascended his way up the Atlanta Hawks GOAT pyramid from the day they traded for him during the NBA Draft. He has become one of the premier playmakers in team history, sitting just 47 assists behind Doc Rivers for the franchise’s all-time lead. Young has also entered the top 10 in scoring for the team with 10,311 points as well as three All-Star selections and an All-NBA Team selection in 2021-22.

Joe Johnson was a staple of Atlanta Hawks basketball from 2006 through 2012. In those seven seasons, “Iso Joe” averaged 20.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 44.9% shooting from the field. He would earn six All-Star selections with the team as well and his only career All-NBA Team selection in 2010 averaging 21.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

Mookie Blaylock is another staple of Hawks basketball but from the 1990s. With the team from 1993 through 1999, Blaylock had his full repertoire of two-way basketball on display. In seven seasons, he averaged 14.9 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. He won back-to-back steals titles in 1997 and 1998 and earned his only career All-Star appearance as a Hawk in 1994. On top of all of his accomplishments, Blaylock would also be a six-time All-Defensive Team player with the Hawks and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1997.

There may not be a more beloved player by teammates or fans in Atlanta Hawks history than Al Horford. After becoming their third overall pick in 2007, Horford would spend nine seasons with the Hawks through the 2016 season. In that time, Horford became a fan-favorite thanks to his energy and All-Star-level play on both sides of the ball. In nine seasons, Horford was named an All-Star four times and an All-NBA Team selection once in 2011. He averaged 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game in 578 career games with the team.

Pistol Pete Maravich was an innovator and pioneer of the point guard position during the 1970s who began his NBA career with the Hawks from 1971 through 1974. Although the Hawks were in their dark years, Maravich still shined, averaging 24.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game on 44.8% shooting. He was a two-time All-Star in 1973 and 1974 and an All-NBA Team selection in 1973 as well.

The final member of Tier 3 in Atlanta Hawks history is another point guard, Lenny Wilkens. Playing eight seasons with the team from 1961 through 1968, Wilkens averaged 15.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. He ranks fifth in team history with 3,049 assists and was named an All-Star five times. In 1968, Wilkens finished as runner-up for MVP, averaging 20.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

Tier 4

Dan Roundfield, John Drew, Josh Smith, Paul Millsap, Zelmo Beaty, Tree Rollins, Kevin Willis

The next seven players in Atlanta Hawks history make up Tier 4 of their GOAT pyramid. To kick things off, we have Dan Roundfield who spent six seasons with the Hawks from 1979 through 1984. Roundfield was a three-time All-Star with the Hawks who averaged 17.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in his time with the team. He ranks 10th in franchise history in rebounds with 4,658 and fifth in blocks with 716.

After the Hawks made him their second-round selection in the 1974 NBA Draft, John Drew went on to become one of the greatest players in franchise history. In eight seasons with the team from 1975 through 1982, Drew averaged 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Drew was the 1975 Rookie of the Year as well as a two-time All-Star and ranks fifth in team history with 12,621 points.

Any fan of the NBA during the 2000s remembered the athleticism and high-flying play of Josh Smith. He was never an All-Star but Smith set the NBA on fire from 2005 through 2013 with his consistent output of highlights and the immense amount of potential he possessed. In nine seasons with the team, Smith averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game. He was named to an All-Defensive Second Team in 2010 and led the Hawks to six playoff appearances.

Paul Millsap was a four-time All-Star with the Atlanta Hawks in the four years he spent with the team from 2014 through 2017. In just four years, Millsap became a huge part of their stance as an Eastern Conference Finalist in 2015, averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Millsap would also earn the only All-Defensive Team selection of his career with the Hawks in 2016.

From 1963 through 1969, Zelmo Beaty dominated the frontcourt for the St. Louis Hawks. Beaty stood 6’9’’ and averaged 17.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game before deciding to leave the Hawks for the ABA. In those first seven seasons, Beaty was named a two-time All-Star and led the Hawks to four Conference Finals appearances.

Eddie Johnson was a third-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks in 1977 and by the end of the nine seasons he spent with the team, he would go down as one of the franchise's greatest guards to ever take the court. Johnson ranks top 10 in franchise history in points, steals, and assists with two All-Star selections and two All-Defensive Team selections. Johnson averaged 15.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 619 games played for the franchise.

After being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks 14th overall in 1977, Tree Rollins went on to spend over a decade with the franchise through 1988. Other than having one of the game’s greatest names, Rollins was a workhorse for the Hawks as a rebounder and defender. Rollins recorded 2,283 blocks in his Hawks career, more than 800 more than the next closest player. Rollins was never an All-Star but did lead the NBA in blocks with 4.3 in 1983 and earned two All-Defensive Team selections in 1983 and 1984.

Rounding out Tier 4 is the ageless wonder, Kevin Willis. Of the 21 seasons he spent in the NBA, Kevin Willis spent the first 11 of them with the Atlanta Hawks from 1985 through 1995. Willis was another one of the players willing to do the dirty work and win by any means necessary. In his Hawks career, Willis averaged 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on 50.3% shooting from the field. He earned one All-Star and All-NBA Third Team selection in 1992.

Tier 5

Doc Rivers, Bill Bridges, Steve Smith, Clyde Lovellette, Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague

Kicking off Tier 5, it is important to remember that these seven players are still among the elite in franchise history but did not do enough to match the accolades and production of the players above them. Doc Rivers is a perfect example of this as the franchise’s all-time assists leader. In eight seasons with the Hawks from 1984 through 1991, Rivers averaged 13.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He earned one All-Star appearance in 1988.

Bill Bridges is a forgotten member of Hawks history who spent nine-plus seasons with the Hawks from 1963 to 1972. During this time with the team, Bridges would earn three All-Star appearances and two All-Defensive team selections averaging exactly 12.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game on 43.6% shooting from the floor.

Steve Smith, no relation to Josh, was another staple of the Atlanta Hawks during the 1990s. From 1995 through 1999 with the Hawks, Smith was a one-time All-Star who averaged 18.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. In his five seasons with Atlanta, Smith led the team to five playoff appearances including back-to-back second-round trips in 1996 and 1997.

Clyde Lovellette spent four short seasons with the Hawks from 1959 through 1962 but made quite an impact during that time. Lovellette averaged 19.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on 46.1% shooting in 245 games with the Hawks. He would earn two All-Star selections in 1960 and 1961 and led the Hawks to the NBA Finals with Bob Pettit in 1960.

Three-point magician Kyle Korver spent four-plus productive seasons with the Hawks from 2013 through 2017. In those 332 games, Korver had some of the best seasons of his career, averaging 10.9 points per game on 45.2% shooting from three. He led the NBA in three-point percentage three times in five years with Atlanta and earned the only All-Star selection of his career in 2013 averaging 12.1 points per game on 49.2% shooting from beyond the arc.

The final member of the Atlanta Hawks GOAT pyramid is none other than point guard Jeff Teague. In eight seasons with the Hawks from 2010 through 2017, Teague averaged 11.9 points and 5.1 assists per game. He ranks seventh in team history in steals and sixth in assists. In 2015, Teague earned the only All-Star selection of his career with the Hawks averaging 15.9 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 46.0% shooting.