1982-1994: The Dominique Wilkins Era
In 1982, the franchise acquired superstar Dominique Wilkins and promoted Mike Fratello to head coach a year later. Due to sagging attendance, 12 home games during the 1984–85 season were played at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans games were paid for by Barry Mendelson for $1.2 million with the Hawks going 6–6 in Louisiana. It was also around this time that Dominique Wilkins would win the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985 and 1990, engaging in an iconic dunk-show rivalry with Michael Jordan. The Hawks' Spud Webb won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1986. Fratello won coach of the year in 1986 as well.
From 1985–89, the Hawks were among the league's elite, winning 50 games or more each season. Winning a third division title in 1986–87 season with a franchise record 57–25 and their second in the Central Division. However, the team could not advance past the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs, losing to eventual Eastern conference and/or NBA champions in Boston and Detroit. The Hawks drafted Stacey Augmon with their tenth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, and made the All First Rookie Team. Wilkins went injured during the middle of the 1991-92 season, and was out for the rest of the season. Without Wilkins, the Hawks were unable to make it to the playoffs. In 1992, the Hawks acquired guard Mookie Blaylock from the New Jersey Nets, who would spend seven years of his career as a Hawk, leading them in career steals and three-point field goals, also getting an All-Star appearance in 1994. After several seasons of mediocrity, Lenny Wilkens was hired as head coach in 1993. In the 1993–94 season, coach Wilkens led the team to 57 victories, tying a team record and won a fourth division title in Atlanta, third in the Central Division and won coach of the year. However, the team fell short again in the playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern semis in six games. The season was also marred with the trading of Dominique Wilkins, who remains the franchise all-time leading scorer, to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning, who quickly left via free agency to Phoenix after the season ended.
Read more about this topic: Atlanta Hawks, Franchise History
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