Which Former Hawks would you allow to come back and retire a Hawk?

[macdaddy]

Post-Nique pre-modern era:

Deke (no, no, no) or Shareef.

 

Modern Era

Joe

 

Favorite Journeyman...

Jamal. with a strong nod to Tyrone Lou

 

Favorite Foriegn Player...

Zaza ...with a strong nod to Hanno Mottola

 

Favorite Bench Rider...

Enis Whatley  with strong nods to Mario West and Ivano Newbill and Ira Newble.

 

Favorite Hawks Draft pick...

Jefferson Teague.

 

Favorite  Hawks trade...

Augmon to Detroit for two draft picks.

 

 

Journeyman i have to go with Flip Murray.

[Diesel]

Just because you think it doesn't make it true.  I was here too and I'm also glad we signed Joe, but acting like he saved the franchise from certain demise?   come on.  That's fantasy land.

Not

 him alone but his acquisition.  With the way that our ownership broke up, nobody wanted to come to Atlanta except we were capable of winining and we overpaid. 

Joe's acquisition made us of capable of winning.

[willthepureshooter]

To be quite honest, Joe never had the personality to move the needle in Atlanta for much of anyone to give a damn about him retiring at barely a fraction of the not great player that he was to begin with. I don't give a damn about "gave to the community" which is quickly becoming the "I can't be racist, I have a black friend" of the Squawk, his name never rang throughout the streets beyond whatever strippers or orphans he saved.

Zaza on the other hand despite being not even half of the player that most of those other guys were is probably the second greatest cultural icon the team has to offer since Nique. Sad in a way but still the best choice.

Funny that you said that about Pachulia MaceCase when we've had the great Dikembe Mutombo grace the Atlanta Hawks uniform...

I disagree with your baseless assumption and horrible comparison between truthful charity examples of Joe Johnson and "pulling the race card." Wow.. Strippers and orphans huh? Its funny how people judge what others do in their spare time. Sounds a little "elitist" in my opinion. "The strip club hungry superstar that finds pity in the orphans after the weekends.." Smh.

For all of you judging his character, think about this..

Joe Johnson defied the odds and made this franchise competitive again. We went to the playoffs every year since his arrival. He matched up against the opponents best player nightly without complaints. When our head coaches ignored ineffective offensive schemes, he never complained. He went out, worked hard, and gave the team good chances to win games. After his body took a toll after playing long minutes, he never asked for rest or bitched to management for additional help. Through his charity work, he has given more time and money to those "orphan kids" than anyone of us. So continue ragging the best player to ever come and make this franchise relevant since Dominique. We all know the truth. I guess everyone would turn down a big raise from their employer if they felt it was undeserved? Lol. Smh. I would take that money every time and laugh all the way to the bank. The anticapitalist and their contradictory.

Oh yeah! Who cares about fans. Fans are the most unloyal people in sports. You play for your teammates. How many of you looked up into the stands during a little league, high school, or college game and thought about the fans? Lol.

Hand down.. Man down..

[macdaddy]

Funny that you said that about Pachulia MaceCase when we've had the great Dikembe Mutombo grace the Atlanta Hawks uniform...

I disagree with your baseless assumption and horrible comparison between truthful charity examples of Joe Johnson and "pulling the race card." Wow.. Strippers and orphans huh? Its funny how people judge what others do in their spare time. Sounds a little "elitist" in my opinion. "The strip club hungry superstar that finds pity in the orphans after the weekends.." Smh.

For all of you judging his character, think about this..

Joe Johnson defied the odds and made this franchise competitive again. We went to the playoffs every year since his arrival. He matched up against the opponents best player nightly without complaints. When our head coaches ignored ineffective offensive schemes, he never complained. He went out, worked hard, and gave the team good chances to win games. After his body took a toll after playing long minutes, he never asked for rest or bitched to management for additional help. Through his charity work, he has given more time and money to those "orphan kids" than anyone of us. So continue ragging the best player to ever come and make this franchise relevant since Dominique. We all know the truth. I guess everyone would turn down a big raise from their employer if they felt it was undeserved? Lol. Smh. I would take that money every time and laugh all the way to the bank. The anticapitalist and their contradictory.

Oh yeah! Who cares about fans. Fans are the most unloyal people in sports. You play for your teammates. How many of you looked up into the stands during a little league, high school, or college game and thought about the fans? Lol.

Hand down.. Man down..

 

 

I don't understand that picture.  Looks like Joe is handing a big check from a casino over to Mike Miller.   

[willthepureshooter]

I don't understand that picture. Looks like Joe is handing a big check from a casino over to Mike Miller.

It was a game night celebrity charity if I'm not mistaken. And why would Joe hand a big check from a casino to Mike Miller? Lol. Long day huh?

Hand down.. Man down..

[macdaddy]

It was a game night celebrity charity if I'm not mistaken. And why would Joe hand a big check from a casino to Mike Miller? Lol. Long day huh?

Hand down.. Man down..

 

Well the check is signed by Horseshoe Casino and Hotel and made out to the Mike Miller Foundation.... and Mike Miller is standing there.  But it has been a long day.

[willthepureshooter]

Well the check is signed by Horseshoe Casino and Hotel and made out to the Mike Miller Foundation.... and Mike Miller is standing there. But it has been a long day.

Yeah, a lot of players participate in other players charity events.

Hand down.. Man down..

[willthepureshooter]

@macdaddy, here's an old squawk archive of the event.

http://hawksquawk.net/community/topic/327606-sekou-crickets/

Hand down.. Man down..

[Wretch]

I'm a little behind on this thread but we can disagree on what Joe was and wasn't.   It doesn't change the fact that there are a bunch of fans (myself included) that liked Joe when he was here but don't revere him as a hawk the way we do some others.   Now you may think that's unfair but it is the case.   So is that because there are a bunch of fans who are irrational, or jealous, or dumb?  I'm not sure it matters.   The truth is that more fans have an appreciation for Steve Smith (as an example) than Joe Johnson as hawks players and there is a reason for it.   What the reason is is up for debate but I'm one who thinks that whether or not an athlete has devoted fans is mostly a function of that athletes personality, play, and ability to get fans excited one way or another.  As opposed to fans being ignorant or jealous or unappreciative.   

 

If Joe wanted to be the quiet leader who never complained that's fine.   But it's much harder to inspire people being that guy.  To use an over used saying.  It is what it is.  I also doubt Joe is losing much sleep over it. 

 

See, I don't think that's unfair at all.  I understand that completely.  People thought JJ should attack more, that he should get to the line more, and that he should be more of a vocal leader.  All that, I understand.  Some also disagree with how good he was and they criticize his inability to elevate the team.  Although I have more appreciation for his game, I don't take too much issue with those kinds of criticisms.

 

I don't want to hear this nonsense about him not wanting to be here, or that he didn't work hard for us, and that he didn't do everything that was asked of him.  Don't tell me that all Joe cared about was Joe...and pin all of our failures on him.  That kind of talk makes absolutely no sense to me.  I also understand that some don't respect him as much as others, but don't tell me Joe wasn't a true Hawk.

[Guest]

We went to the playoffs every year since his arrival.

Nope. Wrong - Those 26 and 30 win seasons count too.

Edited March 5, 2015 by JayBirdHawk

[Admin]

We went to the playoffs once Horford got here, not before and every time since. #facts

[MaceCase]

Funny that you said that about Pachulia MaceCase when we've had the great Dikembe Mutombo grace the Atlanta Hawks uniform...

I disagree with your baseless assumption and horrible comparison between truthful charity examples of Joe Johnson and "pulling the race card." Wow.. Strippers and orphans huh? Its funny how people judge what others do in their spare time. Sounds a little "elitist" in my opinion. "The strip club hungry superstar that finds pity in the orphans after the weekends.." Smh.

For all of you judging his character, think about this..

Joe Johnson defied the odds and made this franchise competitive again. We went to the playoffs every year since his arrival. He matched up against the opponents best player nightly without complaints. When our head coaches ignored ineffective offensive schemes, he never complained. He went out, worked hard, and gave the team good chances to win games. After his body took a toll after playing long minutes, he never asked for rest or bitched to management for additional help. Through his charity work, he has given more time and money to those "orphan kids" than anyone of us. So continue ragging the best player to ever come and make this franchise relevant since Dominique. We all know the truth. I guess everyone would turn down a big raise from their employer if they felt it was undeserved? Lol. Smh. I would take that money every time and laugh all the way to the bank. The anticapitalist and their contradictory.

Oh yeah! Who cares about fans. Fans are the most unloyal people in sports. You play for your teammates. How many of you looked up into the stands during a little league, high school, or college game and thought about the fans? Lol.

Hand down.. Man down..

Well Deke would have to unretire and then retire again to be relevant to this thread (read the OP).  Secondly, Deke personally cut ties with the Atlanta franchise.  Despite having greater individual and team success in Denver, Philly, and Atlanta he decided to shill for Houston instead.  That would seem to disqualify him much like Mookie's homicide conviction precludes him from participating too despite his "charitable contributions" and being the influence behind one of America's greatest rock bands, Pearl Jam.  I take it that's not your thing though.

 

I never judged Joe, I'm judging people like you that bring up the "pillar of the community" argument.  I guess you have to be an elitist to parse through the analogy wrapped in dry humor found only in literary bastions such as The New Yorker but "pillar of the community" is a term typically reserved for mobsters or corrupt politicians on trial.  Are you getting it yet, my plebeian fellow?  "Gives to charity" is an unrelated cop out offered to absolve Josh and now Joe from any criticism for their actions and performance within the context of basketball much like people think that saying "I have a black friend" absolves them from being criticized for making a racially insensitive remark or action.

 

As to the context of basketball......yes, Joe defied the odds by jumping ship from a championship contender to join a bottom feeding team that coincidentally happened to offer him the most amount of money that anybody wanted to offer him.  He then went on to enjoy both his time and his money playing on a bottom feeding team and within a system that emphasized both his own individual attributes and stats (which would likely and did lead to lucrative opportunities in the future) but he never won a damn thing in Atlanta until Alfred Joel Horford-Reynoso walked through that door and one Michael Bibby showed him what an actual pair looked like.  But only fans would know that truth right?  I guess anyone would jump at a position they weren't entirely qualified for but damn, only a bastard would dare criticize them for not fulfilling the obligations of their job.  After all, you can't fire me for being inept at my job, I'm a good father and husband and I volunteer at the church!

 

Here's a picture off another man that is better than all of us thanks to his "charitable contributions":

 

 

Go ahead, say one bad word about this humanitarian.  I f***ing dare you!

[Guest]

Post-Nique pre-modern era

Mookie

Modern era

Horford or Zaza. For a while it would have been Smoove but he lost me the last couple of years here.

Post Nique- Mookie and Grant Long (loved his lunch pail tude)

Modern- Horford.. Plain and simple, he's a winner and our franchise seemed to change for the better the second he arrived. Honorable mention- Sap and Korver (lunch pail hard hats)

Edited March 6, 2015 by Spud2Nique

[Wretch]

Post Nique- Mookie and Grant Long (loved his lunch pail tude)

Modern- Horford.. Plain and simple, he's a winner and our franchise seemed to change for the better the second he arrived. Honorable mention- Sap and Korver (lunch pail hard hats)

Loved Grant Long.  He was one of my favorite Hawks during the 90's.

Cool story: He owned a pharmaceutical company (or something like) and made deliveries to the clinic that my wife worked at.  She kept telling me that a "famous basketball guy" who played for the Hawks brought supplies to their office and I didn't believe her.  Eventually, she got his name and said he was Grant Long.  I was like....no way.  I thought she was fuggin' with me because she knew how much I liked Grant. 

 

One day she calls me and says he's in the office and they have him on speakerphone.  He started talking to me and I couldn't believe it.  I started asking him questions and sure enough, it was him.  I went into depth about the team, draft picks, games, and how much I appreciated his game.  He thoroughly surprised that I was a genuine Hawks fan.  He honestly couldn't believe there were true Hawks fans outside of ATL and that someone actually remembered him.

 

They printed off his stat sheet from NBA.com and he signed it for me...which my wife lost somewhere in the dang house.........

[Guest]

Loved Grant Long. He was one of my favorite Hawks during the 90's.

Cool story: He owned a pharmaceutical company (or something like) and made deliveries to the clinic that my wife worked at. She kept telling me that a "famous basketball guy" who played for the Hawks brought supplies to their office and I didn't believe her. Eventually, she got his name and said he was Grant Long. I was like....no way. I thought she was fuggin' with me because she knew how much I liked Grant.

One day she calls me and says he's in the office and they have him on speakerphone. He started talking to me and I couldn't believe it. I started asking him questions and sure enough, it was him. I went into depth about the team, draft picks, games, and how much I appreciated his game. He thoroughly surprised that I was a genuine Hawks fan. He honestly couldn't believe there were true Hawks fans outside of ATL and that someone actually remembered him.

They printed off his stat sheet from NBA.com and he signed it for me...which my wife lost somewhere in the dang house.........

Oh man that's awesome!! What year was this? And what city were you living in? Sucks that your wife lost it but it could still be in the house :-)

Ya, I loved Grant Long. He and Ron Gant were two of my fav athletes that got me going to the gym consistently. Grant had a hellavu body on him and it seemed that he was always undersized as a power forward. I mean he was listed at 6'9" but for some reason he always looked smaller than the opposing pf. Kind of like Sap for us today. Come to think of it, size wise they have a lot in common. Sap has more skills on offense for sure but there are some similarities. Ahhhhh the good ole days...I remember in 96 or sometime near I taped a sportscenter and we were playing the Hornets in Charlotte. There was a highlight of Grant going from the baseline to the middle of the key and just ripping it down on a big guy. I don't think it was Mourning because he had left for Miami but whoever it was got a big time facial.

[Wretch]

Oh man that's awesome!! What year was this? And what city were you living in? Sucks that your wife lost it but it could still be in the house :-)

Ya, I loved Grant Long. He and Ron Gant were two of my fav athletes that got me going to the gym consistently. Grant had a hellavu body on him and it seemed that he was always undersized as a power forward. I mean he was listed at 6'9" but for some reason he always looked smaller than the opposing pf. Kind of like Sap for us today. Come to think of it, size wise they have a lot in common. Sap has more skills on offense for sure but there are some similarities. Ahhhhh the good ole days...I remember in 96 or sometime near I taped a sportscenter and we were playing the Hornets in Charlotte. There was a highlight of Grant going from the baseline to the middle of the key and just ripping it down on a big guy. I don't think it was Mourning because he had left for Miami but whoever it was got a big time facial.

 

This was somewhere between 2002-2004-ish.  I live in Columbus, about 100 miles south of ATL.  That's what really threw me off, because I kept thinking...there was no way he was making deliveries down here, to her clinic specifically. That and I SERIOUSLY loved Grant Long's game.  I told him the reason why he was one of my favorite Hawks was because he played WAY bigger than his size.

 

Man, I ran my mouth like a little kid........lol.  I went on and on about the Hawks, our drafts, our free agents, how he came here with Smitty, I talked about that fight they had in the playoffs the year before, how we traded him to make room for Deke, that crazy game where we came back from like 10 points down within 40 seconds or so, how tight Lenny's rotations were, how Christian Laetner disappeared...man I was running my mouth big time.  I probably spent about 10 minutes gushing over how hard he worked and how he played much bigger than his size.

 

He was laughing and he talked to me about going to Detroit.  He said the Lakers had called him and had interest in him.  He wasn't sure if he could still play at a high level.  I was like, "Man you better get your ass out to LA and get a damn ring!"  He was like, "I know right??!"

 

In the middle of my rambling he said something like, "Man, I'm shocked.  You're a TRUE Hawks fan.  I mean...you really are a Hawks fan.  Listening to you, I can tell you watch the Hawks and you really love the team.  At first I thought you might just be a basketball fan, but you really are a Hawks fan."  

 

Funny side note - Sothron lives here too and for like the last...I dunno, 10-15 years (maybe longer with the AJC/RealGM forums)...we've been posting together online.  We had no idea, but we both live here and we both shop at the same local comic book store. lol

[willthepureshooter]

Well Deke would have to unretire and then retire again to be relevant to this thread (read the OP). Secondly, Deke personally cut ties with the Atlanta franchise. Despite having greater individual and team success in Denver, Philly, and Atlanta he decided to shill for Houston instead. That would seem to disqualify him much like Mookie's homicide conviction precludes him from participating too despite his "charitable contributions" and being the influence behind one of America's greatest rock bands, Pearl Jam. I take it that's not your thing though.

I never judged Joe, I'm judging people like you that bring up the "pillar of the community" argument. I guess you have to be an elitist to parse through the analogy wrapped in dry humor found only in literary bastions such as The New Yorker but "pillar of the community" is a term typically reserved for mobsters or corrupt politicians on trial. Are you getting it yet, my plebeian fellow? "Gives to charity" is an unrelated cop out offered to absolve Josh and now Joe from any criticism for their actions and performance within the context of basketball much like people think that saying "I have a black friend" absolves them from being criticized for making a racially insensitive remark or action.

As to the context of basketball......yes, Joe defied the odds by jumping ship from a championship contender to join a bottom feeding team that coincidentally happened to offer him the most amount of money that anybody wanted to offer him. He then went on to enjoy both his time and his money playing on a bottom feeding team and within a system that emphasized both his own individual attributes and stats (which would likely and did lead to lucrative opportunities in the future) but he never won a damn thing in Atlanta until Alfred Joel Horford-Reynoso walked through that door and one Michael Bibby showed him what an actual pair looked like. But only fans would know that truth right? I guess anyone would jump at a position they weren't entirely qualified for but damn, only a bastard would dare criticize them for not fulfilling the obligations of their job. After all, you can't fire me for being inept at my job, I'm a good father and husband and I volunteer at the church!

Here's a picture off another man that is better than all of us thanks to his "charitable contributions":

Go ahead, say one bad word about this humanitarian. I f***ing dare you!

Hand down.. Man down..

[Guest]

This was somewhere between 2002-2004-ish. I live in Columbus, about 100 miles south of ATL. That's what really threw me off, because I kept thinking...there was no way he was making deliveries down here, to her clinic specifically. That and I SERIOUSLY loved Grant Long's game. I told him the reason why he was one of my favorite Hawks was because he played WAY bigger than his size.

Man, I ran my mouth like a little kid........lol. I went on and on about the Hawks, our drafts, our free agents, how he came here with Smitty, I talked about that fight they had in the playoffs the year before, how we traded him to make room for Deke, that crazy game where we came back from like 10 points down within 40 seconds or so, how tight Lenny's rotations were, how Christian Laetner disappeared...man I was running my mouth big time. I probably spent about 10 minutes gushing over how hard he worked and how he played much bigger than his size.

He was laughing and he talked to me about going to Detroit. He said the Lakers had called him and had interest in him. He wasn't sure if he could still play at a high level. I was like, "Man you better get your ass out to LA and get a damn ring!" He was like, "I know right??!"

In the middle of my rambling he said something like, "Man, I'm shocked. You're a TRUE Hawks fan. I mean...you really are a Hawks fan. Listening to you, I can tell you watch the Hawks and you really love the team. At first I thought you might just be a basketball fan, but you really are a Hawks fan."

Funny side note - Sothron lives here too and for like the last...I dunno, 10-15 years (maybe longer with the AJC/RealGM forums)...we've been posting together online. We had no idea, but we both live here and we both shop at the same local comic book store. lol

That's awesome. Ya I was upset when we had to trade him. I mean I'm happy we got Deke but still. You and Soth lol...I'm mad at him, he basically eliminated me from Squawk fantasy last week. :-(