City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Spectator Sports

Description: The third jewel in Atlanta’s pro sports crown was put into place in 1968 when the St. Louis Hawks basketball team relocated to Atlanta. For their first four seasons in Atlanta, the Hawks played in Georgia Tech’s Alexander Memorial Coliseum before moving in 1972 to the then-brand-new 16,510-seat Omni Coliseum. In 1997, the Omni was demolished by implosion to make way for Philips Arena, a new entertainment center on the site of the old Omni, Downtown between the CNN Center, Georgia World Congress Center, and the Georgia Dome. Besides Lenny Wilkens, Atlanta Hawks enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame include Walt Bellamy, Connie Hawkins, and “Pistol Pete” Maravich. Retired numbers include those of Bob Pettit (9) and “Sweet Lou” Hudson (23). Tickets The Hawks share Philips Arena with the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team. Tickets range from $10 to $450, with almost all of the higher-priced, closer-in seats sold out before the season starts. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster retail locations and by phone: Call (404) 249-6400 in Atlanta, (800) 326-4000 long distance; a service charge applies. For season tickets call the Hawks directly at (866) 715-1500. You can watch the Hawks on Turner South and FoxSportsNet. You can listen to the games on the Atlanta Hawks Radio College Basketball Network, whose flagship station is WSBAM (750).