The NBA’s Eastern Conference finals. Also known as the place dreams go to die if you’re the Atlanta Hawks – or at least the version of the Hawks that moved from St. Louis to the Big Peach in 1968.
Understand, we’re not talking about failing to win the NBA title a single time since that ’68-’69 season, as anemic as that might be. We’re talking about not even playing for a championship over that span of time. In fact, the franchise’s only NBA title was won by the St. Louis Hawks in 1958.
As elusive as reaching the Super Bowl has been for the Cleveland Browns or the World Series for Seattle, the NBA Finals have been the Impossible Dream for the Hawks. Not one appearance. None. Zero.
Another perspective? The Sacramento Kings’ current run of 70 seasons without winning an NBA crown is the only stretch of championship futility within the league longer than the Hawks’ 63-year drought.
Beyond that, their only other appearance in the Eastern Conference finals ended in being swept by LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015. The Hawks’ coach at that time, Mike Budenholzer, is now the Milwaukee Bucks coach.