Atlanta Hawks: Who’s Next In Line For Jersey Retirement?

Who’s next in line for an Atlanta Hawks’ jersey retirement?

The Atlanta Hawks have a solid franchise history, with a fair share of iconic players suiting up for the team across their time in Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Atlanta.

The franchise currently has six retired numbers – Dikembe Mutombo‘s 55, Pete Maravich‘s 44, Lou Hudson‘s 23, Dominique Wilkins‘ 21, Bob Pettit‘s number 9 as well as the number 59 in honor of Kasim Reed, the city’s 59th major.

That’s a somewhat short list given the Hawks’ overall success, and it means more than a few deserving players were left off.

Let’s take a look at a few of those players who could be in line next.

The candidates:

• Mookie Blaylock, No.10

It’s easy to forget just how good Mookie was good for the Hawks from 1992-1999. He was consistently one of the best defensive guards in the league, making six All-Defensive teams in his 13-year career, making his lone All-Star team appearance as a Hawks in ’94.

He averaged an amazing 2.6 steals per game during his seven seasons in Atlanta, and while he was never the outright best player on the team, he was certainly good enough to be considered as the team’s next honoree.

• Joe Johnson, No. 2

Basketball-Reference has Johnson’s Hall-of-Fame chances at a cool 50 percent, and he’s able to get in, it may force the Hawks’ hand. Even if he doesn’t, Atlanta should consider raising his #2 to the rafters, as Iso Joe was very good for seven years with the team.

He averaged 20.9 points per game with the team, making a few memorable moments in the playoffs as well.

• Lenny Wilkens, No. 32/15/14

It surprises me to this day that the Hawks haven’t retired Wilkens’ number(s) yet, as not only did he spend eight solid years with the team, he was also one of the best coaches in franchise history. He’s in the Hall-of-Fame as both a player and a coach.

Perhaps it’s because he donned three different numbers during his time, but the Hawks should have retired one of them a while ago. It’s never too late to go back and fix their snubbing.

• Cliff Hagan, No. 17/6/16

Another one they should have retired years ago, Hagan not only made the Hall-of-Fame, but he was also apart of the Hawks’ only championship team. He spent a total of ten seasons with the St. Louis Hawks, making the All-Star game in five.

• Moses Malone, No. 2

One of the greatest centers of all-time, Moses Malone already has his number retired by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played three solid seasons for the Hawks near the end of his career, still putting up great numbers. If he played a bit more with the team, he’d be a more realistic option.

• Kevin Willis, No. 42

Not an elite player by any means, Willis spent 11 total seasons with the Hawks is unquestionably one of the most beloved players of all-time. We see many teams retire players’ numbers whose time with the team was quantity over quality, and Willis’ is the Hawks’ best option for that.

What jersey should the Atlanta Hawks retire next?