SLHSt. Louis Hawks
SLHSt. Louis Hawks has reached the nba champions decider 4 times on record, first in 1956-57 and most recently in 1960-61. 1 win against 3 runner-up finishes is recorded below, sourced from our full nba champions list.
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
SLHSt. Louis Hawks — 1 nba champions (1957-58).
Franchise history
The franchise now known as the Atlanta Hawks began in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons, an NBL team owned by Ben Kerner and Leo Ferris. The Bisons lasted about a month before relocating to Moline, Illinois, becoming the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. In 1951 Kerner moved the club to Milwaukee, and in 1955 relocated again to St. Louis, where the team became the St. Louis Hawks — the franchise's most successful era.
Anchored by forward Bob Pettit, a two-time MVP, the Hawks reached the NBA Finals four times, facing Bill Russell's Boston Celtics on each occasion (1957, 1958, 1960, and 1961). In 1958 St. Louis won its only NBA championship, defeating Boston 4-2, with Pettit scoring 50 points in the decisive Game 6. Kerner sold the team in 1968 to a group that relocated the franchise to Atlanta, where it has remained since as the Atlanta Hawks.
Sources
NBA Champions won (1)
Runner-up finishes (3)
See the full nba champions list for the winner each of these years.
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