Atlanta Hawks: 20 best players of all-time
11. player. 125. . SG. Atlanta Hawks. Steve Smith
Best Atlanta Hawks of all-time – Steve Smith (1994-1999)
Despite moving around the NBA quite a bit in his 14-year career, Steve Smith is probably most known for the 5 years he spent with the Atlanta Hawks.
Smith was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Heat in 1991, winning NBA All-Rookie First Year honors. The Atlanta Hawks would come into the picture in 1994 when they traded for Smith and Grant Long, giving up Kevin Willis in a deal that was at the time seen as a heist on the part of the Hawks.
Smith averaged 16.2 points per game in his first year in Atlanta and they were swept in the first round by Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. A team that featured Christian Laettner, Dikembe Mutumbo, and Steve Smith made it to the playoffs that next year and lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Steve Smith had two of his best scoring seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 20.1 points per game in both the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 seasons. He’d be named to the NBA All-Star Game in the latter season, the only time he would do so in his career. The Hawks made the playoffs all five years Steve Smith was in town, and he contributed handily, averaging 19.9 points per game in the playoffs. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in 1999.
Steve Smith averaged 18.6 points per game in his time in Atlanta and managed 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists to go with his buckets.
Atlanta Hawks. Dikembe Mutumbo. 10. player. 125. . C
Best Atlanta Hawks of all-time – Dikembe Mutombo (1996-2001)
An undisputed Hall of Famer, Dikembe Mutombo is most certainly one of the best defensive players and greatest shot blockers in the history of the NBA.
Already a two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year at Georgetown, Mutombo was drafted fourth overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1991. He averaged 16.6 points per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First team in 1992. Signing as a free agent in 1996, Mutombo made his way to Atlanta to continue his incredible career.
Mutombo was a defensive force for the Hawks on the aforementioned Steve Smith squad that lost to Michael Jordan in the conference semifinals. In his 5 seasons with the Hawks, Mutombo averaged 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, and an insane 3.2 blocks per game.
His signature “finger wave” was a staple in Atlanta.
He led the NBA in blocks from 1996 until 1998 while with the Atlanta Hawks. Mutombo also led the NBA in total rebounds for four years while wearing an Atlanta Hawks uniform from 1996-2000, and won 3 Defensive Player of the Year Awards in that time span as well. Although he was always praised for his defensive efforts, the fact that Dikembe Mutombo remained a walking double-double for 13 of his 19-year career is pretty remarkable.
Mutombo was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001, ending his extremely productive years in Atlanta. The legend would play for the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, and the Houston Rockets before retiring in Houston in 2009. Since ending his on-court career, Dikembe Mutombo has been known for doing outstanding philanthropic and humanitarian works in several countries, including the United States and his native Democratic Republic of Congo.