The Atlanta Hawks family lost one of its own on Monday when Dan Roundfield drowned off the coast of Aruba. Roundfield ever courageous went into the water to save his wife but got swept out to sea. His wife returned to the shore unharmed but Roundfield's body was found afterwards.
Roundfield was an unheralded member of the Hawks from 1978 to 1984. He was a three-time all-star and was named to the all-defensive team three times as well. His pinnacle came during the 79-80 season when he was named to the All-NBA second team while helping Hubie Brown and the Hawks to 50 wins. The Hawks released a statement from Dominique Wilkins this afternoon in which he called Roundfield one of his closest friends.
"Danny was the most honest and upfront person I knew, and I'm very stunned at hearing the news of his death. Danny's one of my closest friends and he was a tremendous influence on my NBA career, on and off the court. He taught me how to be a professional and took me under his wing. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, I will truly miss him."
Peachtree Hoops writer Jason Walker includes Roundfield in his top-five Hawks of all time.
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.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Roundfield's family and friends in this very difficult time.