The 2001–02 NBA season was the Hawks' 53rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 34th season in Atlanta, in the 2001 NBA draft, the Hawks selected Spain basketball star, Pau Gasol Sáez, a Spanish professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of which organization?
2001–02 Atlanta Hawks season The 2001–02 NBA season was the Hawks' 53rd season in the National Basketball Association, and 34th season in Atlanta. In the 2001 NBA draft, the Hawks selected Spain basketball star Pau Gasol with the third pick, but soon traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, then signed free agents Ira Newble and Jacque Vaughn during the offseason. Abdur-Rahim led the Hawks in scoring averaging 21.2 points per game, and was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. However, Theo Ratliff only played just three games due to an offseason hip injury. The Hawks struggled losing 12 of their 15 games in January as they held a 16–33 record before the All-Star break. However, they played around .500 for the remainder of the season while posting a 9–7 record in March. They showed slight improvement avoiding 50 losses by finishing sixth in the Central Division with a 33–49 record. Following the season, Toni Kukoč was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, and Vaughn signed with the Orlando Magic.
Lou Williams Louis Tyrone Williams (born October 27, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Williams was selected directly out of high school by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 45th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. Williams spent seven seasons with Philadelphia before signing with the Atlanta Hawks in 2012, playing two seasons there before being traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2014. He was then named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2015.