Established
1946
City
Tri-Cities - Milwaukee - St. Louis - Atlanta
League History
1949 – Present / National Basketball Association
1946 – 1949 / National Basketball League
Team History
1968 – Present / Atlanta Hawks
1955 – 1968 / St. Louis Hawks
1951 – 1955 / Milwaukee Hawks
1946 – 1951 / Tri-Cities Blackhawks
Nickname
Hawks - As sports fans, we know that the Milwaukee Bucks are one of the most storied franchises in the history of the NBA. But did you know that their nickname has an interesting origin story? The team was initially founded as the Milwaukee Hawks in 1968, and they kept this name until 1971, when they changed it to the Bucks.
The team's original owner, William E. Davis, had a unique idea for how he wanted to brand his new franchise: he decided to use a combination of two birds native to Wisconsin - namely, hawks and bucks - as inspiration for his team’s nickname. He believed combining these two animals into one powerful symbol would represent strength and courage – qualities associated with Wisconsin since its founding days!
In addition to being symbolic creatures from Wisconsin's past, both Hawks and Bucks have strong connections with basketball too: Hawks were known for their speed while bucks were renowned hunters who could leap high off the ground with great agility – perfect attributes for any successful basketball player or squad! As such, Davis felt confident about using them both as mascots for his newly formed professional hoops club; thus ‘Milwaukee Hawks’ was born (which later became ‘Milwaukee Bucks’).
So next time you cheer on your favorite NBA side, remember where their name came from – thanks go out to Mr. Davis, who gave us this iconic moniker back in 1968!
Championship
NBA Championships 0
1958
Arena
2019 - Present / State Farm Arena
1999 - 2018 / Philips Arena
1997 – 1999 / Georgia Dome & Alexander Memorial Coliseum
1972 – 1997 / The Omni
1968 – 1972 / Alexander Memorial Coliseum
*St. Louis*
1955 – 1968 / Kiel Auditorium
*Milwaukee*
1951 – 1955 / Milwaukee Arena
*Moline*
1946 – 1951 / Wharton Field House
Owner
2015 – Present / Tony Ressler
2004 – 2015 / Atlanta Spirit, LLC
1977 – 2004 / Ted Turner/Turner Broadcasting
1968 – 1976 / Tom Cousins/Cousins Corporation, Carl Sanders
1946 – 1968 / Ben Kerner
- 1951
- 1954
-
Move to Milwaukee from Tri-City
The Blackhawks finished last in the Western Division and missed the playoffs. By then, it was obvious that the Tri-Cities area was too small to support an NBA team. After the season, the franchise relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and became the Milwaukee Hawks. -
Signing Bob Pettit
The Hawks finally got a superstar in Bob Pettit who was drafted out of Louisiana State. In his first season, Pettit would earn Rookie of the Year honors while finishing fourth in scoring a 20.4 ppg. However, it would not be enough to lift the Hawks out of the last place as they posted a record of 26-46. Following the ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Hawks
The Milwaukee Hawks, previously known as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, are a professional basketball team that has been part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 1951. The franchise began in 1946 as the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, based in Moline, Illinois. In 1951, they moved to Milwaukee and became known as the Hawks. Since then, they have experienced highs and lows throughout their history, with some memorable moments.
In the 1955-56 season under head coach Red Holzman, led by Bob Pettit's 25 points per game average and Cliff Hagan's 24-point average, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, now the Milwaukee Hawks, propelled themselves to an NBA Championship title over Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics 4 games to 3 on April 16th, 1956 at Boston Garden. This victory marked their first-ever championship win after 8 years of trying and remains one of the greatest moments in the Hawks' history, cherished by fans to this day.
Over time, however, fortunes changed drastically for this once proud franchise, culminating in a relocation from Wisconsin back to St. Louis, Missouri, where it had initially been started before moving into Wisconsin all those many years ago. After two seasons there, the owners decided to move yet again, this time permanently settling down in Atlanta, Georgia, where the team currently resides, playing its home games at State Farm Arena, right next door to Philips Arena, formerly known as Phillips Center or Omni Center when it first opened up back in 1993. Even though much has changed over these past decades, one thing remains true: No matter what city or state its members play for, this team still carries the same name that proudly represented the people of Wisconsin so long ago.
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
9 / Bob Pettit
21 / Dominique Wilkins
23 / Lou Hudson
44 / Pete Maravich
55 / Dikembe Mutombo
59 / Kasim Reed
– / Ted Turner
*Blue is this team’s history