Atlanta Hawks

Founded: 1946
Team Owner: Atlanta Spirit
Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer
Team Icon: Dominique Wilkins
Overall Record: 2542-2600
D-League Affiliate: Bakersfield Jam
Championships: 1958
Arena: Philips Arena
Arena Capacity: 18,118
Arena Co-Tenants: Atlanta Dream (WNBA), Atlanta Thrashers (NHL), Georgia Force (AFL), Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NCAA)
City: Atlanta, GA
Website: www.hawks.com

Shortly after World War II in 1946, the National Basketball League (NBL) granted a new basketball franchise to the Tri-Cities which consisted of Rock Island and Moline, IL, and Davenport IA. The new team adopted the nickname Blackhawks after both the hockey team not too far away in Chicago and the Sauk Indian Chief Black Hawk.

Shortly after its inception, the franchise did a bit of hopping around, joining the NBA in 1949, and quickly them moving over to Milwaukee in 1951 where the team name was shortened to the Hawks. Milwaukee must not have been too enticing of a home (go figure), and the team jolted down to St. Louis for a spell. A little over a decade in 1968 the team moved to its current location of Atlanta keeping the Hawks moniker it shortened during its brief stay in Wisconsin.