In 1946, the National Basketball League granted a franchise to three cities along the Mississippi River -- Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa.

Because Sauk Indian Chief Black Hawk's tribe was located in Rock Island and a major part of the 1831 Black Hawk War was fought in the surrounding areas, the team was named the
Tri-Cities Blackhawks.

The club joined the NBA in 1949, and in 1951, the franchise relocated to Milwaukee, where the nickname was shortened to Hawks. The team moved to St. Louis in 1955, and finally to Atlanta in 1968.