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Atlanta Hawks: 25 Best Players To Play For The Hawks

By Phil Watson

May 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of t-shirts on the seats prior to game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; General view of t-shirts on the seats prior to game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Basketball: NBA Playoffs: Atlanta Hawks Walt Bellamy (8) on court during Game 5 vs Boston Celtics at Boston Garden. Boston, MA 4/11/1973 CREDIT: Dick Raphael (Photo by Dick Raphael /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X17615 TK1 )
Basketball: NBA Playoffs: Atlanta Hawks Walt Bellamy (8) on court during Game 5 vs Boston Celtics at Boston Garden. Boston, MA 4/11/1973 CREDIT: Dick Raphael (Photo by Dick Raphael /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (Set Number: X17615 TK1 ) /

20. player. 125. <strong>How acquired:</strong> Trade, Detroit Pistons, Feb. 1, 1970.. C. 1970-74. Walt Bellamy

Walt Bellamy was past the part of his career when he was a perennial All-Star when he was acquired by the Atlanta Hawks in February 1970.

The trade itself was a steal–the Hawks got Bellamy from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for John Arthurs, who never suited up for Detroit.

ATL_20_BELLAMY
ATL_20_BELLAMY /

Bellamy was third in the NBA in field goal percentage in 1971-72 for the Hawks and helped the team to four straight postseason berths.

The Hawks left the soon to be 35-year-old unprotected in the expansion draft in May 1974 and he was chosen by the New Orleans Jazz.

In parts of five seasons in Atlanta, Bellamy averaged 15.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor and 58.4 percent at the free throw line.

An All-American as a senior at Indiana after averaging 21.8 points and 17.8 rebounds per game, Bellamy was the first overall pick in the 1961 NBA Draft by the expansion Chicago Packers.

Few players have entered the league with as big a splash. Bellamy was Rookie of the Year in 1961-62, earning four straight All-Star berths with the Packers and their successors, the Chicago Zephyrs and Baltimore Bullets.

He was second in the league in scoring, third in rebounding and led the NBA in field goal percentage as a rookie in 1961-62. He was fifth in scoring in 1962-63 and 1963-64, finishing third in rebounding in 1962-63 and fourth in 1963-64.

In November 1965, the Bullets traded Bellamy to the New York Knicks, where he was fifth in the NBA in rebounding in 1965-66 and was in the top five in field goal percentage three straight seasons.

Traded to the Pistons in December 1968, Bellamy was fifth in the league in field goal percentage in 1968-69.

Bellamy started at center opening night for the Jazz and then was waived the next day in October 1974, eventually retiring.

Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993, Bellamy is 37th in NBA history with 38,940 minutes, 11th with 14,241 rebounds, 34th with 20,941 points, 22nd with an average of 37.3 minutes per game and seventh with an average of 13.7 rebounds per game.

He died Nov. 2, 2013, at the age of 74.

Next: All-Star Began Career In Rival League

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