Despite an calm outward demeanor, Tony Ressler is more impatient and competitive than he lets on publicly.

And he wants to bring a championship to Atlanta.

So if the Hawks principle owner can buy the team and then break ground on a sorely needed, state-of-the-art practice facility in just one year, who is to argue with his ultimate goal for the NBA franchise?

“Yes, we have an objective to be a great franchise,” Ressler told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is an exclusive interview. “A great franchise has to win a championship. When I use the term, I think it’s healthier to say we want to be a great franchise than say I want a championship. You can’t be a great franchise without being a champ. So, we have to be a champ at some point.

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Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) defends the goal against Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik Rank)

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Rose Scott signals as "Closer Look" goes on the air in the WABE studio. An Atlanta resident left WABE a $3 million donation, a boost after WABE lost $1.9 million in annual funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. (Ben Gray for the AJC 2023)

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