Mike Fratello knows a thing or two about winning basketball in Atlanta.
The former Hawks coach ranks second in franchise history in wins (324). He directed teams from 1983-90 that won 50 or more games four times, advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals three times and were loaded with star power, including Hall-of Famer Dominique Wilkins.
It’s no surprise to Fratello that there is a buzz around the city and that fan support has increased with the way the current Hawks are winning. A 37-8 record has put some distance between the team and the offseason issues that created a firestorm within the organization and a divide in the community and NBA.
“I lived in Atlanta so long and I love that city, said Fratello, who will return to broadcast Wednesday’s game against the Nets for the YES Network. “It just hurt so much to hear the division that was taking place at that time. That was not what Atlanta was about to me, ever. It’s about a variety of people that moved into the city and it grew at such a rapid rate and the blending of nationalities, all that. It’s a great city that I always thought was ahead of some of the other cities in a progressive manner. And then all this happens.
“After all that and it turns out like this is sensational.”
Fratello recalled how when he took over in 1983, the season-ticket base was just over 3,000 and the average attendance was about 7,000 at the Omni. When he left after the 1989-90 season, with the on-court exploits of Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Spud Webb, the team had a season-ticket base of more than 12,000 and an average attendance over 15,000.
Win and they will come.
The current Hawks have captured the imagination of the city. They enter Wednesday’s game on a 16-game winning streak, the longest in Atlanta professional sports history. They have won 30 of the past 32 games. Their lead in the Eastern Conference is seven games over the Wizards. The run started under difficult circumstances in light of off-season issues.
“The easiest thing is for it to go south,” Fratello said. “The hardest thing is for someone to take control of the reins, pull it together, whoever said what they said to the team at the various times. Whatever internal leadership and guidance was taking place was tremendous and sensational of keeping their focus and direction on what it’s supposed to be about and that is winning as a team. They did an incredible job of grabbing it at the moment and stopping what could have been a landslide that would have carried through an 82-game schedule. The built-in excuse was there. …
“Instead, they have given (the city) this great story about the way they are playing, the record they have, the togetherness they are showing. That is what it should be about, the togetherness and the teamwork that is being displayed.”
Fratello said he sees the same thing as fans and the media when he looks at these Hawks. An unselfish group that plays team basketball is fun to watch. Fratello said he heard from many fans on the appeal of the style of play after last year’s NBA Finals.
The Spurs used the team approach to defeat the star power of the Heat for the league championship. He suggested many coaches around the NBA and the college ranks are using video lessons from that series. He sees the same successes with the Hawks.
“Look at their record, the standings, the streak that they’ve put together and how many players are going to wind up on the All-Star team and it answers what a great coaching job the staff has done and what a great job the players have done in playing unselfishly and playing both ends of the floor,” Fratello said.
