In took Atlanta’s Hawks only 47 years, dating to their first home game at Georgia Tech, to arrive at Wednesday’s game. Too much crushed hope and hot, sticky cynicism paved that long road to account for here.
But to fully embrace the wonder of making a conference championship series for the first time since 1970 — and yes, making the final four qualifies as a wonder in these parts — one needs to have some sense for what this team has overcome.
And what this season ultimately has meant, namely, said CEO Steve Koonin: “It has slayed some demons of the past.”
Just look on the last year, and there is a very to-scale version of a decades’ old story of one franchise’s struggle to be taken seriously.
The headlines from the AJC and AJC.com from the past 12 months form a dramatic arc, telling of a team that made the trip from insignificance to embarrassment to glory in a very short time.
It’s a story that beggars belief, even of one of its authors will admit. “It’s almost illogical,” Koonin, who stepped in at the ugly beginning of this season, said.
The Hawks’ winning ways may have begun where the last season left off.
The headline of May 5, 2014 read:
Reality stuffs dream.
Having failed to hold a late lead and put away Indiana in Game 6, the No. 8-seeded Hawks lost their Game 7 to the Pacers 92-80.
“We are getting the system. … We are building the culture. … You learn how to play but you also learn how to win,” Kyle Korver said before going into his offseason.
Can Atlanta win a title without acquiring at least one superstar? (July 1, 2014).
LeBron didn’t come to Atlanta. Carmelo didn’t come. Nor did Luol Deng (but, man, would his presence be felt). The Hawks instead acquired the likes of Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore. Commentators stewed over the team’s stubborn inability to attract a “name” free agent.
Hawks owner out over racist email (Sept. 8, 2014).
Report on top free agent set off Hawks firestorm (Sept. 9, 2014).
In a one-two punch, the team lost majority owner Bruce Levenson and general manager Danny Ferry to truly offensive fouls. The owner thought there were too many black people at the games. And the GM repeated a scouting report that concluded of Deng, “He’s got some African in him.” If this fish rotted from the head, it was going to be a long year. What kind of warped business model was this?
CEO Koonin pulling out all stops to sell his team to audience it insulted (Oct. 31, 2014).
The Hawks got a new CEO and part-owner in Koonin, who went to work feverishly trying to repair the damage done by management’s comments. So eager was the former executive at Coke and Turner to relate to the aggrieved urban audience that he went on record saying, “Fo’ shizzle” in a promotional video with TI. Or was that desperation?
Budenholzer's pointed film session sparks turnaround (December 28, 2014).
The Hawks had not started the season like world-beaters, splitting their first 10. That included a 33-point loss to Cleveland. The coach put together a horror film of their defensive lapses that may have lit a fire. For a while, it seemed they never would lose again.
Hawks make history, fans love it (Jan. 30, 2015).
On the way to putting together a 19-game winning streak, the Hawks were unbeaten in January. The owner’s and the GM’s words passed through like a summer shower, with even less lasting impact. Winning was like penicillin. “Whether it’s at a restaurant or at the gas station, I’m getting approached by people telling me how proud they are of our team,” center Al Horford said.
Korver earns All-Star slot (Feb. 11, 2015).
When the Hawks forward replaced an injured Dwyane Wade, that meant four-fifths of the team’s starters were going to New York. They were the first team since the 2011 Celtics to place place four in the All-Star game. The country was forced to face the fact that there was an NBA franchise in Atlanta.
Win gives Hawks top seed in the East (March 28, 2015).
Beating Miami, the Hawks earned home court throughout the playoffs with still eight games left in the regular season. They almost made it look easy, even if it was only the second time in history they finished atop the conference standings.
Budenholzer earns honor (April 22, 2015).
The Hawks coach got a call from his former employer and mentor, San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich. You’re the NBA coach of the year, Pop told him. At first, Budenholzer thought it was a prank, as if 60 wins in a season weren’t enough.
Hawks finally reach the East's promised land (May 16, 2015).
Sorry, Paul Pierce, that shot was still on your fingertips when the buzzer sounded. The Hawks eliminate Washington, 94-91, to earn their first conference final. “Welcome to the exorcism,” columnist Jeff Schultz wrote.
“I thought it would happen one day, but I didn’t think it would all happen this year,” Koonin says now.
“We started the year dividing (the city), and we ended the year uniting. That so rarely ever happens.”
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