Remembering Dan Roundfield

Shocking news from the AJC, which reports that Atlanta Hawks great Dan Roundfield drowned while in Aruba with his wife.

Roundfield was part of the excellent Hubie Brown teams after joining via free agency before the 1978-79 season, a season which saw the Hawks improve to 46 wins and make it to the second round for the first time since the '72-73 season.

Roundfield was/is typically under-noticed for his contributions, despite being a 3-time all-star and being named to the All-Defensive team five times (3-time 1st Team) and being on the second team All-NBA during the '79-80 season, where the Hawks won 50 games, the apex of those Hubie teams.

I remember him for his unique look on the court, his #32, his tenacity and excellent defense. His was one of the first NBA teams I ever saw on a nightly basis, being in Florida and thanks to Mr. Ted Turner broadcasting Hawks games all over on Channel 17.

I got to meet Dan Roundfield when he, among many other Atlanta greats, gathered for the All-Star festivities in Atlanta in 2003. I promptly perturbed him by mis-speaking and asking about his trade from the Hawks to the Bullets, when he was obviously part of the important 1984 deal with the Pistons that brought Antoine Carr and Cliff Levingston to Atlanta, key parts of the Air Force teams under Mike Fratello. Despite my faux-pas, Roundfield graciously answered many questions about his time as a Hawk, his current role with a private company back in Atlanta and Hubie Brown.

Roundfield was due to appear in the Top 5 in Peachtree Hoops' Greatest of all-time Atlanta Hawks series from 2010, a surprise to many, but his stats tell the story while a Hawk, as did the success the team had with him as a core part of those teams.

No matter if you would agree with that placement, Dan Roundfield was a player and a man worth remembering.