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Every single NBA team’s Mount Rushmore of stars

By Maxwell Ogden

Apr 2, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) look on in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) look on in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks Mount Rushmore, Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins – Atlanta Hawks Mount Rushmore (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) /

Taking a look at every team’s Mount Rushmore

Every NBA organization has a history that fans look back on and fondly remember. Some have been more fortunate or shrewd than others, but the common theme is that, at one point or another, there has been an unforgettable player leading the charge.

While debates will eternally rage about who the GOAT is of this glorious Association, there’s a question worth asking: Why limit it to one?

One of the most popular trends in the NBA in recent years has been creating a, “Mount Rushmore.” Everyone from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to LeBron James has given their take on the topic, as have a vast majority of fans in the basketball community.

As such, generations have clashed as they’ve debated whether or not their selections for being a top-4 player on the all-time spectrum belong on the Mount Rushmore of NBA history.

In order to take a step towards clarity, why don’t we break it down by franchise? Perhaps we’ll be able to appreciate those we’re less familiar with more if we take a step back and evaluate what they did for their respective teams.

We may even be able to reminisce about our favorite teams’ stars more fondly if we take a look at what they meant to the organization itself.

Regardless of how they did it, there are countless players who helped define an organization’s glory and greatness. In many regards, they’ve become synonymous with the mere mention of a team—both among fans and those they’ve scorned on the hardwood.

Regardless of why they’re revered as the pillars of a franchise, the question deserves to be answered: Who’s on each NBA team’s Mount Rushmore?

The Mount Rushmore of the Atlanta Hawks

  • Lou Hudson
  • Bob Pettit
  • Lenny Wilkens
  • Dominique Wilkins

The Mount Rushmore of the Atlanta Hawks begins with Bob Pettit. Pettit was a two-time NBA MVP, a two-time scoring champion, and a 10-time All-NBA First Team honoree. That would be more than enough to make him an addition to any team’s list of four.

What truly separates Pettit from the pack, however, is the following fact: Between 1957 and 1966, the Boston Celtics won all but one NBA championship. The lone exception was when Pettit led the Hawks past Bill Russell and the Celtics to win it all in 1958.

Enough said? Enough said.

The next name on the list is Dominique Wilkins. The Human Highlight Film was one of the most exciting players in NBA history, but don’t let that confuse you. In addition to being the epitome of must-see TV, Wilkins was a legitimately great player who earned seven All-NBA selections.

Wilkins won the 1986 scoring title, and pushed Larry Bird and the Celtics to the limit in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals with 47 points in an iconic Game 7 duel.

Lou Hudson joins Pettit and Wilkins as a six-time All-Star who scored upwards of 15,000 points while playing a vast majority of his career with the Hawks. He ranks third on the franchise’s all-time scoring list and fifth in points per game.

The list is rounded out by Lenny Wilkens, who made five All-Star Game appearances with the Hawks and helped guide the team to the 1961 NBA Finals.

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