What City Did the Atlanta Hawks Originate In?

What city did the Atlanta Hawks originate in? The Atlanta Hawks surprisingly did not originate in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Instead, the city the Atlanta Hawks originated in was a city in upstate New York called Buffalo, New York. The Atlanta Hawks didn't go right from Buffalo to Atlanta. In fact, there were quite a few moves from the city where the Atlanta Hawks originated, as well as a name change or two, before the team found its way to Atlanta.

The professional basketball team the Atlanta Hawks began life as the Buffalo Bisons in 1946, located in Buffalo, New York. At the time, the team was owned by Ben Kerner, who made a rather abrupt decision to move himself – as well as the team and the entire franchise – to Moline, Illinois. The move itself wasn’t so unusual, but the timing was: it took place just thirteen games into the Buffalo Bisons’ first season.

Bisons Move to Wisconsin

After their move from the city where the Atlanta Hawks originated from to Illinois, the team changed names to become the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. They spent a few seasons playing in Illinois and gaining some minor success in the playoffs during the first year of the NBA’s official existence. They did relocate yet again, but not until 1951; at that time they moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and changed their name to the Milwaukee Hawks. 

Hawks Move to Missouri

The Milwaukee years weren’t terribly successful for the franchise: their record proves it, and it wasn’t long before they pulled up stakes yet again. In 1953 the Hawks shook the dust of Wisconsin off their feet and took off for St. Louis, Missouri. 

St. Louis may have been lucky, or else the team had just hit their stride. One year after arrival, they made it to game seven of the finals; the next year they went yet again, with the difference being that they won this time around. This was the first – and only – time that the team would be official champions, but it set off an excellent run for them. They remained in St. Louis for close to ten more years, with another trip to the finals in 1960.

Hawks Move to Atlanta

After several more years, and quite a few more trips to the finals and near-wins, the Hawks were officially sold to new ownership in 1968. Tom Cousins, a real estate owner, and Carl Sanders were the new owners. Sanders just happened to be the former governor of Georgia; these two gentlemen were located in Atlanta, Georgia, and that’s where the Hawks headed next. Thus, you can say that the city the Atlanta Hawks originated in Buffalo and ended up in Atlanta.

A few years of ups and downs followed. The team was purchased again by Ted Turner in the late 1970s, and remained in Atlanta under a new coach. They experienced several years of success in the mid to late 1980s, and again through the early 1990s. As of 2007, they’ve been on a streak of redemption that’s taken them into the semi-finals; it has yet to earn them a win, but things look promising.