How to Collect | The Atlanta Hawks

Collecting the Story of the Hawks

From Illinois to Milwaukee, to an early championship in St. Louis, to an array of basketball talent on display in Atlanta, the Hawks story is one of high-flying dunkers, high-stakes contests, a champion, and an array of contenders.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways to start an exciting Atlanta Hawks collection.  

Hawks Mount Rushmore

Our Atlanta mountainside is etched with a two-time MVP, a legendary scorer, a six-time All-Star, and a brilliant point guard who would go on to coach the team..

1957 Topps Basketball #24 Bob Pettit RC

1993 Topps Finest Basketball #102 Dominique Wilkins Refractor

1971 Topps Basketball #110 Lou Hudson

1969 Topps Basketball #44 Lenny Wilkens

Success in St. Louis

Bob Pettit is one of the game’s greatest players, and one of the biggest pieces to the Atlanta Hawks Hobby. In 1957, the year Pettit’s card was part of the first-ever Topps basketball release, he led the team to the NBA Finals, losing in an epic seven-game battle with the Celtics.

A year later, Pettit and the Hawks were champions, defeating Boston in six. Pettit put up a ridiculous 29.3 PPG and 17.0 RPG. In fact, the 1958 Hawks win was all that prevented the Celtics dynasty from winning 10 straight titles. While his 1957 card is very valuable, a fun alternative is a ‘57 Variation card from 2007 Topps Chrome featuring the image of Pettit from the original card.

While Pettit was the unquestioned superstar, Cliff Hagan (who averaged 25.2 PPG himself in the Finals win) is another must-have addition when looking to capture the incredible early history of the Hawks during their stay in St. Louis.

Lenny Wilkens finished runner-up in MVP voting in 1967/68, as the team won a then-franchise-record 56 games. The team featured two other All-Stars in Zelmo Beatty and Bill Bridges. A PSA 9 of Bridges’ RC from 1969 Topps Basketball sold for $1,440 in June 2024. Other vintage options include four-time All-Star Walt Bellamy, who finished his career in Atlanta.

“Pistol” Pete Maravich began his legendary career after being selected third overall by the Hawks in the 1970 NBA Draft. His first All-Star season came in 1972/73, when he averaged 26.1 PPG and 6.9 APG.

One of the most entertaining players in league history, with dazzling dribbling displays, head-spinning vision, and brilliant scoring moves, Maravich borders on the mythical. A PSA 10 of Maravich’s 1970 Topps rookie card sold for $552,000 in 2023. It is one of only two PSA 10 versions of the card.

Dominique and Dikembe

Dominique Wilkins is the greatest scorer in franchise history and one of the best athletes the sport has ever seen. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals ‘Nique staged one of the greatest single-game duels in league history with Larry Bird.

“It was like two gunfighters waiting to blink,” recalled years later in an interview with NBA.com.

The Celtics won 118-116, while Wilkins scored a game-high 47 points on 19 for 23 from the field. Wilkins’ cards are an essential piece to a Hawks collection, as he carried the team to relevance in a historic era for the league.

This 2009 Logoman Patch Card is Wilkins’ most valuable Topps offering to date, with an auto version selling for $7,930 in 2024.

Wilkins left Atlanta in 1994 with perhaps the greatest offensive resume in franchise history. Two years later, an all-time great defender joined the team in eight-time All-Star Dikembe Mutombo. Second in career blocks all-time, Mutombo won back-to-back DPOY awards in 1997 and 1998. In the 1996/97 season, he anchored a Hawks team that won 56 games.

There are a ton of options when it comes to collecting Mount Mutombo, including this East/West Refractor featuring him and the only player to record more career blocks, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Mookie Blaylock and Steve Smith are other worthy additions to a Hawks collection. Blaylock was a phenomenal perimeter defender who finished third in DPOY voting in 1997, when Mutombo won the award. Smith averaged over 20 PPG in 1997 and 1998. His Chrome debut came in the inaugural Topps Chrome Basketball set released in 1996.

The Hawks of the 21st Century

Joe Johnson spent seven years in Atlanta, earning an All-Star nod six times. Johnson’s best team was a 53-win outfit in 2009/10 that also featured the very collectible and beloved three-time Sixth Man of the Year, and walking bucket, Jamal Crawford.

While Al Horford would become a champion in Boston, his incredible career began in Atlanta. The ROY runner-up in 2008 and a two-time NCAA Champion with Florida, Horford earned four All-Star appearances with the Hawks. He helped lead the 2014/15 squad to a franchise-record 60-win season and their first conference finals appearance since 1961.

The team was notable for its incredible balance, with Horford joined by Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Teague. All four were named to the All-Star team, and they all deserve a place in a Hawks collection.

Capturing History Your Way

The last several years in Atlanta have brought plenty of excitement, with electric guard Trae Young anchoring the team across a number of rosters. Young’s performance en route to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals was a particular standout moment in modern franchise history, though the team ultimately lost in six games to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.

From the glory years of Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan, to the electricity of Dominique Wilkins and Mutombo’s block party, Hawks basketball spans the decades and the history of Topps Basketball cards, giving fans and collectors alike a variety of ways to build their own unique Atlanta Hawks team collection.

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