Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Mike Budenholzer announced earlier today that the organization will retire Dikembe Mutombo’s No. 55 uniform in a special ceremony on November 24th when the Hawks host the Boston Celtics at Philips Arena. The announcement was made during a ceremony recognizing today as Dikembe Mutombo Day in Fulton County.

“There are very few players who have had the impact on- and off-the-court that Dikembe has had, and he’s very deserving of this honor,” Koonin said. “As a player, man and humanitarian, he represents everything we want to be associated with. November 24th is going to be a memorable night in our franchise’s history, in Atlanta, in Fulton County, and for Dikembe and his family.”

Mutombo, who will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 11, spent five seasons (343 games) with the Hawks (1996-2001), finishing with averages of 11.9 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 1.2 assists in 36.2 minutes (.529 FG%).

He ranks third in franchise history in career field goal percentage (.529), blocks (1,094) and rebounds per game (12.6), seventh in defensive rebounds (3,093) and ninth in offensive rebounds (1,228) and minutes per game. He holds the second (277, 1997-98), fourth (269, 1999-00) and fifth positions (264, 1996-97) on the franchise list for most blocks in a single season, and has the sixth-best field goal percentage season (.562, 1999-00) in club history.

Overall, he played 18 years in the league (1,196 games), ranking second in NBA history in blocked shots (3,289) and 19th in rebounds (12,359), averaging 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.0 assists in 30.8 minutes (.518 FG%). He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year (tied for the most in league history), eight-time All-Star and is the only two-time winner of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Mutombo will join Hawks legends Dominique Wilkins (#21), Lou Hudson (#23), Bob Pettit (#9) and Ted Turner as those honored in Philips Arena’s rafters.

You forgot about Jason Richardson. But he still exists and still plays basketball. And now he adds depth to the bench of a very good Eastern conference squad.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed Richardson, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

A 13-year NBA veteran, Richardson has played in 857 career regular season games (842 starts) with Golden State, Phoenix, Orlando, Charlotte and Philadelphia, averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.1 minutes. In 37 postseason games, he has put in 17.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.1 minutes.

In 19 games last season with the 76ers, Richardson averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.9 minutes.

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting the latest on a Hawks forward i. A very scary and serious situation:

Mike Scott faces up to 25 years in prison on two felony drug charges stemming from his arrest last month.

An initial court date in the case could take several months to be placed on the calendar as the drugs have been sent to an independent lab for processing, according to the Banks County assistant district attorney. That would mean an initial court appearance would come during the upcoming NBA season.

Scott was arrested, along with his younger brother, on July 30 after a traffic stop along Interstate 85 in Homer. In the vehicle, police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of Schedule I drug MDMA, known as Molly. The charge on the MDMA carries a sentence of up to 15 years. The charge on the marijuana carries a sentence of up to 10 years, according to Georgia statutes.

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club announced today two executive appointments. Atlanta sports marketing veteran Andrew Saltzman has joined the organization as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, and Andrew Steinberg moves to the newly created role of Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer.

“These two executive announcements are major steps in realizing our ownership’s vision of being Atlanta’s top sports franchise, both in the business and civic communities,” Chief Executive Officer Steve Koonin said.

“We are thrilled to add the talents and experience of Andrew Saltzman to our executive team. Andrew is a passionate executive who has proven himself a visionary creative mind in the sports and media marketplaces, both locally and nationally.”

“I’ve been in the Atlanta sports market for almost 20 years and have never seen a sports team with as much momentum as the Atlanta Hawks,” said Saltzman. “The opportunity to be a part of this organization and work with a leader like Steve Koonin is simply a dream come true for me.”
Saltzman most recently served as the Chief Revenue Officer for PlayOn! Sports and the NFHS Network, the nation’s largest high school sports media company. From 1997 to 2012, Saltzman served as President of Big League Broadcasting, co-founding and developing WQXI-AM into one of the country’s leading sports talk outlets, Sports Radio 790 The Zone. Through his leadership and client-centric marketing vision, 790 The Zone established itself as Atlanta’s premier sports broadcast station. Saltzman’s resume also includes successfully negotiating multi-year sports broadcast agreements with the Hawks, the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia Tech Athletics and the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

In his new role of Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer, Steinberg will now take a leadership role in the execution of strategic projects as determined by Koonin and the Hawks Board of Directors, including: the development of a new practice facility site, reimagining Philips Arena, and pursuing an NBA Development League team as a Hawks affiliate. Additionally, he will provide oversight of Philips Arena.

“We are fortunate to have a leader in Andrew Steinberg, who will take on new responsibilities as our enterprise enters its next chapter. As the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club continues to invest in both our organization and our community, Andrew will be at the forefront of these new major initiatives under new ownership,” said Koonin.

Under Steinberg, all Hawks revenue metrics have surged. During the 2014-15 season, Atlanta experienced the largest increase in attendance in the NBA and established team records for single game and group sales, leading the league in both categories. The Hawks currently lead the NBA in new full season tickets sold for 2015-16 and the season ticket membership base has increased by over 50% in his three seasons. Steinberg also created the Analytics and CRM department, providing strategic direction and key business intelligence insights and was instrumental in negotiations for the local media deals with Fox Sports South, CBS Radio 92.9 The Game and iHeartMedia’s El Patron 105.3FM. During his time in the role, Steinberg also developed marquee corporate partnerships with Boingo, Comcast, FanDuel and Ticketmaster, among others.

“I am excited for the challenges of my new role and working closely with our owners, who are committed to making the Hawks a vibrant community asset,” said Steinberg. “I look forward to helping execute their positive vision and to working with Executive Vice President and Philips Arena General Manager Trey Feazell, who has done an outstanding job leading the arena to become one of the busiest in the nation.”

Steinberg joined the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena from Sporting Kansas City where he was Executive Vice President – Business Operations, directing revenue generation, strategic relationships, and corporate partnerships for the MLS team and the venue, Sporting Park. Prior to Sporting Kansas City, Steinberg served in various roles with the University of Kansas Athletics Department most notably as the Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Revenue Development where he was responsible for enhancing KU’s brand image and strengthening its revenue streams. Steinberg joined the University of Kansas after serving as an associate with the law firm of Riling, Burkhead & Nitcher in Lawrence, Kansas and working with NIKE in Beaverton, Oregon.

“These two executive announcements are a major step in realizing our ownership’s vision in having our enterprise serve as a dynamic leader in the Atlanta business community,” said Koonin.

Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting on some legal trouble for Hawks reserve Mike Scott, who last season 7.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game:

Hawks forward Mike Scott faces felony drug charges after he was arrested in Banks County on Thursday morning.

Scott, who just completed his third season with the Hawks, was arrested along with his brother, Antonn Imhotep Scott, for possession of marijuana and MDMA, known as Molly.

According to a report from the Banks County Sheriff’s office, deputies attempted to stop a Chevrolet Tahoe on Interstate 85 driven by Antonn Scott for following too closely to other vehicles at 9 a.m.

The vehicle failed to yield to police and reached a speed of up to 98 mph.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer enjoyed great success on the court last season but had some trouble off it. Here’s the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting the latest:

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer has entered a plea of not guilty in his driving under the influence case, according to his attorney.

Budenholzer entered the plea in Fulton County State Court last week in writing with the court and Judge Diane E. Bessens. The court has a scheduled plea and arraignment hearing tomorrow at 9 a.m. With the filing of the plea and two motions, neither Budenholzer nor his attorney Michael Hawkins will attend. The plea and motions were filed with the court on July 22.

Budenholzer faces misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence alcohol less safe and defective or no taillights from an arrest Aug. 28, 2013 after being stopped by police at 10:30 p.m. at 10th Street and Crescent Avenue in Midtown.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed guard/forwards Lamar Patterson and Terran Petteway (tur-RAN PET-uh-way), it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Both players competed for the Hawks in the recently-completed NBA Las Vegas Summer League.

Patterson started all seven games for the summer Hawks, averaging team-bests of 13.1 points, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals while adding 5.1 rebounds in 25.8 minutes (.452 FG%, .375 3FG%).

Chosen by Milwaukee in the second round (48th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft, he was acquired by the Hawks on draft night in exchange for a 2015 second round pick. Patterson played in 29 games last season for Tofas in Turkey, putting up 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.6 minutes.

The 6-foot-5 Patterson played at Pittsburgh from 2009-14, seeing action in a school-record 148 games (starting his final 106 contests). He was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference Second Team as a senior after averaging 17.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.6 minutes (.441 FG%, .388 3FG%, .754 FT%) in 36 contests.

In Las Vegas, Petteway appeared in seven games (six starts) and averaged 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 block in 26.0 minutes.

An early-entry candidate for the 2015 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-6 junior led Nebraska in scoring last season, averaging 18.2 points (fourth in the Big Ten) along with 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists (14th) and 1.1 steals (5th). Petteway was selected Third-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media, also earning Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America accolades. He topped the Conference in scoring (18.2) as a sophomore, leading the Cornhuskers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. Petteway began his college career at Texas Tech (2011-12) before transferring to Nebraska.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed center Walter “Edy” Tavares, it was announced yesterday by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Tavares, a 7-foot-3, 260-pound center, was selected 43rd overall by the Hawks in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 23-year-old has played professionally in Spain for the past five seasons, most recently with Gran Canaria of the Spanish ACB league (2012-15). He averaged 8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 22.1 minutes in 57 total games (.635 FG%, .653 FT%) during the 2014-15 ACB league season and Eurocup competition. Tavares led the ACB league in rebounds (274) and blocks (60) in the 2014-15 season. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Eurocup First Team, as well as being named weekly MVP twice. With Tavares starting at center, Gran Canaria went 22-1 in Eurocup play and reached the Eurocup final for the first time in club history.

“We followed Edy closely the past two seasons with Gran Canaria and are excited to officially have Edy as a member of our team. We would like to thank the coaches and executives of Gran Canaria as they played a significant role in Edy’s development and we look forward to continuing his improvement in our player development program,” Budenholzer said.

Prior to joining Gran Canaria full time, Tavares played for Gran Canaria’s youth team in the Spanish EBA league (2009-11) and Union Baloncesto La Palma of the LEB Silver league (2011-12).

Tavares was born in Maio, Sotovento, Cape Verde on March 22, 1992. He is the first Cape Verdean native to be drafted or sign a contract to play in the NBA.

He is currently participating as a member of the Hawks’ 2015 Las Vegas Summer League team and will wear uniform No. 22.

The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has signed guard Justin Holiday to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

“Justin’s abilities on both ends of the court excited us as we looked to add depth on the wing,” Budenholzer said. “His combination of length and versatility with a great work ethic give him a chance to be a solid contributor on the court, and his experience on a championship team this past season and his high-character will be great positives for our locker room.”

A two-year NBA veteran, Holiday played in 59 games (four starting assignments) last season for the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.1 minutes. He also saw action in five postseason contests.

In 2012-13, Holiday played nine games for Philadelphia, posting 4.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 15.8 minutes. The 6-6 guard owns averages of 4.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.8 minutes in 68 career games.

Holiday, the brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, has also played professionally with Okapi Aalstar in Belgium (2011-12) and Szolnoki Olaj in Hungary (2013-14), as well as in the NBA D-League with Idaho (2012-13) and Santa Cruz (2014-15). He was named to the All-NBA D-League Third Team and the league’s All-Defensive Second Team with Idaho after averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34.7 minutes (.421 FG%, .412 3FG%, .816 FT%) in 47 games (42 starts). In his lone D-League appearance last year with Santa Cruz, Holiday recorded 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in 36 minutes.

A four-year letterman at the University of Washington (2007-11), Holiday appeared in 123 career games (56 starts) for the Huskies, averaging 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists (.443 FG%, .343 3FG%, .736 FT%) in 19.6 minutes. He was named to the Pac-10 All-Defensive Team as a junior.

Holiday will wear uniform No. 7.