As in all things, this past year in Atlanta sports has seen triumph and hearbreak, milestones reached and dreams, at their height, dashed.
Here's a look back at some of the major moments that defined 2015, from John Smoltz to Thabo Sefolosha and beyond.
1. Hawks' unlikely season reaches unknown heights: It only took the Hawks 47 years. 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, one needs to have some sense for what this team has overcome. [Read more]
2. We compiled a list of 50 sports figures — players, coaches, managers, owners, executives, broadcasters — who made immense impacts on Atlanta's first half-century of major-league sports. [See the list]
3. One shining moment for Georgia State, when, seeded No. 14, they upset Baylor 57-56 in March by outscoring the third-seeded Bears 13-0 over the final 2:40. As dramatic as those words might sound, they wilt alongside the astonishing reality. [Read more]
4. "I remember John Smoltz": Teammates, his manager, opponents and the scout who brought him to Atlanta share their best memories of Atlanta's newest Baseball Hall of Fame member. [Read more]
5. They were tears six months in the making. Thabo Sefolosha's eyes welled as, in October, a jury found him not guilty of three misdemeanor charges in a New York City courtroom. The Hawks player was able to stand to hear the acquittal on a surgically repaired right leg severely injured during his arrest in April. The injury abruptly ended his season as the Hawks were making franchise history. [Read more]
