St. Louis Hawks Basketball

The St. Louis Hawks began as the Buffalo Bisons in the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1946. After just one month in Western New York, the team moved to Moline, IL and became the Tri-City Blackhawks. The team became part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) when the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America. In 1951 they moved to Milwaukee before settling in St. Louis in 1955. In 1968, dissatisfied with the arena situation there, the team was sold and moved to Atlanta. Pro basketball returned to the city in 1974 when the ABA's Carolina Cougars moved and became the Spirits of St. Louis.