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Ranking Every Atlanta Hawks Player That Wore Number 2

Several unexpected players wore number 2 for the Hawks.

Pat Benson

© Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
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Hello and happy February 22, 2022, or 2-22-22. Make sure you text your crush or significant other at 2:22 PM today, so they know you're thinking about them. In the meantime, let's rank every Atlanta Hawks player to ever wear the number two on their jersey.

13. Sean Colson

The undrafted point guard played just 13 games in his NBA career during the 2000-01 season. Only three of those games were in a Hawks uniform, where he played 14 minutes and never made a bucket. However, he ended the season with the Houston Rockets and ended up scoring 15 points. That's a lot better than any of us can say.

12. Sharife Cooper

Sharife Cooper checking into a game in 2021 / © Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

It's unfair to rank Sharife Cooper at this point in his career. The 2021 second-round draft pick has spent most of his time in the G League (where he has balled out, by the way). But so far, Cooper has played in just 11 NBA games and scored 7 points in 35 minutes of action.

11. Tyler Dorsey

Tyler Dorsey running the Hawks offense in 2017 / © Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks drafted Tyler Dorsey in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. The former Oregon Duck played two seasons in the NBA. Before taking his talents overseas, Dorsey played 93 games for the Hawks during the depths of the rebuild. He finished his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies, where he averaged almost 10 points per game and became a part of their closing lineup.

10. Paul Watson

Former Fresno State Bulldog Paul Watson had to fight his way into the league. After going undrafted in 2017, Watson made his NBA debut in 2019. He signed a 10-day contract with the Hawks in January of 2020, where he played 17 minutes throughout two games. 'Paul Wall' has gone on to play for the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder.

9. Treveon Graham

Treveon Graham guarding Carmelo Anthony in 2020 / © Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Remember during the 2019-20 season when the Hawks had little outside shooting beyond Trae Young and Kevin Huerter? Well, in January of 2020, general manager Travis Schlenk shook up the roster and traded Allen Crabbe to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Treveon Graham and Jeff Teague.

Unfortunately for Graham, that season was cut short, and so was his NBA career. He only recently made it back to the G League for the Long Island Nets. Shoutout to Graham for his 22 games with the Hawks during the final stages of the rebuild. Let's hope he gets another shot at the association.

8. James Nunnally

After making his NBA debut in January 2014, James Nunnally strung together an unexpected career as a journeyman. The small forward played for five teams, including a brief pit stop in Atlanta for four games on two ten-day contracts. 

7. Walker Russell

After growing up in Pontiac, Michigan, and playing at Western Michigan University, it only made sense that the Detroit Pistons select Walker Russell in the fourth round of the 1982 NBA Draft.

Russell played in 155 NBA games, and 21 of those contests were for the Hawks during the 1984-85 season. Fun fact, his son Walker Russell Jr. also started his career with the Pistons.

6. Anthony Miller

In the wake of the showtime dynasty, the Los Angeles Lakers traded a future draft pick to the Golden State Warriors for the 6'9 power forward on 1994 Draft Night. Then Miller's career track got weird. He was traded to the Hawks, where he played 38 games between the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. 

After a two-year stint with the Rockets, Miller returned to the Hawks for two games at the beginning of the 2000-01 season. That same season, Miller played one game for the Rockets and 76ers. After that, he was out of the NBA for three whole seasons before finishing his career in Atlanta with two appearances in November 2004.

5. Nazr Mohammad

After being drafted in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft, Nazr Mohammad spent two seasons with the 76ers before being traded to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo. 'Big Nasty' played 198 games for the Hawks throughout three seasons before beginning the journeyman phase of his career. Mohammad tallied 5,827 points and 4,708 rebounds, and 1 NBA Championship (2005) in his career. 

4. Rory Sparrow

Drafted in the fourth round of the 1980 NBA Draft, Rory Sparrow carved out an impressive career. After playing in just 15 games for the New Jersey Nets, Sparrow was traded to the Hawks, where he immediately took over as starting point guard. The former Villanova Wildcat started in 131 straight games in Atlanta before being traded to the Knicks. 

Sparrow became a coveted floor general and played for several different contending teams throughout the 1980s. He even won the 1986 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Sparrow averaged 9 points, 5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds in his 12-year career.

3. Stacey Augmon

The Hawks selected Stacey Augmon with the ninth pick of the 1991 NBA Draft. 'The Plastic Man' had a highly-decorated college career, including All-American honors and an NCAA Championship with the UNLV Runnin' Rebels in 1990.

Augmon started in all 82 games of the 1991-92 season and was named to NBA All-Rookie First Team. After five consistent seasons in Atlanta, the Hawks traded Augmon and Grant Long to the Detroit Pistons for two future first-round and two future second-round draft picks. 'The Plastic Man' finished his NBA career with the Orlando Magic in 2006 before beginning a lengthy career overseas. Augmon played in 1,001 NBA games and accrued 7,990 points and three 216 rebounds during his time in the association.

2. Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson guarding Kobe Bryant in 2012 / © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Few players can be compared to Joe Johnson. 'Iso Joe' began and ended his career with the Boston Celtics and spent two decades electrifying fans in the interim. Sure, Johnson was named to the 2002 NBA All-Rookie First Team. But after brief stints with the Celtics and Suns, the oversized shooting guard's career took off in Atlanta.

After forcing a sign-and-trade to the Hawks in August 2005, Johnson immediately took over the middling team. The volume shooter started in every game he played for the Hawks from 2005 to 2012. Johnson was named to six NBA All-Star Games during his time in Atlanta and made countless highlights alongside Josh Smith.

Not even close to finished, the Hawks traded Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets in July of 2012 for a slew of assets and a first-round pick. 'Joe Cool' made the 2014 All-Star Game and then began the second phase of his career. He bounced around the league until September of 2019 before eventually returning for one final game with the Celtics in December of 2022. 

While out of the league, Johnson tore up the BIG3 League and is currently on Team USA's roster for the FIBA World Cup qualifying games at the end of this month in Washington DC.

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1. Moses Malone

Philadelphia 76ers organization retired Malone's number in 2019 / © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

While Moses Malone only played in Atlanta for three seasons (1988-89 to 1990-91), he played a significant role for some fun Hawks teams. Despite having his most productive days behind him, the Hawks front office believed that the perennial All-Star center was the missing piece to becoming a championship team. 

Unfortunately, the Hawks never made it past the first round with Malone on the roster. However, he played in all but three regular-season games during his time in Atlanta and was reliable for roughly 20 points and 10 rebounds per night.

Although his best playing days didn't happen for the Hawks, 'The Chairman of the Boards' was an easy selection for top 50 players of all-time at the 1997 NBA All-Star Game. Malone's career accomplishments included an NBA Finals MVP (1983), three regular-season MVP Awards (1979, 1982, 1983), 12 All-Star Selections, and too many All-NBA honors to count (seriously, check out his Basketball-Reference or Wikipedia page).

Alright, this was fun. Let's meet back here on March 3, 3,333 (3-3-3333) to discuss the best Hawks players to ever wear number 3. In the meantime, stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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