Thanks for the memories, Rasheed

The Rasheed Wallace era in Atlanta has ended. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday in a deal that was finalized just before the trading deadline.

What a sweet time it was for Wallace and the city of Atlanta. There are so many precious memories.

Remember that New Jersey game? If you are an Atlanta Hawks fan, you certainly remember. It was undoubtedly the highlight of his time spent as an Atlanta Hawk.

Remember the jump ball?

There were those 20 points he scored. And don't forget those five, breath-taking, blocked shots.

Remember how he played a team-high 41 minutes?

What a time it was. Those were the days, my friend. I'll bet the good people of Atlanta thought they would never end.

Who could forget those six glorious rebounds? Boy was it a sight to behold.

Rasheed is gone, but not forgotten. I'm sure he will be missed by the Atlantans who grew to love him.

Nobody will ever forget the love affair between Rasheed and the fans. I'm sure that there will always be a soft spot in Rasheed's heart for the special people in Atlanta who embraced him and accepted him as a member of the community.

Oh yeah, there were all the good times shared between Rasheed and the Atlanta media.

He conversed with them.

He reminisced with them.

He clowned with them.

He laughed with them.

He cried with them. (Well, maybe he didn't cry with them, but it sounds good, doesn't it?)

The back-and-forth banter was heartwarming.

He even shared a few moments with the throng of New York reporters who greeted him after that magical night in New Jersey. These were the hardcore, take-no-prisoners, no-nonsense New York media. There they were, Rasheed and the media, having a heck of a good time with each other.

It was a good, old-fashioned, shall we say... love-in... not seen since his days at... well, never.

Hold on for a second while I choke back the tears.

OK. I'm composed. I'm gonna get through this column one way or another. I am so emotional right now.

I just can't get the image out of my head of Rasheed in a Hawks uniform. He looked so good wearing No. 36. Someday, I'll bet that number will be hanging from the rafters of Philips Arena.

His time in Atlanta was marked with goodwill. He contributed much to the community. I'm sure the good people of Atlanta and the state of Georgia wished Rasheed had stayed a little longer. But, all good things must come to an end.

They will never forget him though. Life goes on for Rasheed and the city of Atlanta.

Rasheed's teammates were even impressed with him, and they weren't easy to impress. They said Wallace brought an intimidation factor and swagger that the Hawks were sorely missing.

So his teammates will miss him too.

He's a member of the Detroit Pistons now, but he will go down in Hawks history as one of the greatest to ever play for the franchise. Rasheed will be mentioned in the same breath as Hawks legends like Dominique Wilkins, Tree Rollins, Pete Maravich, Bob Pettit and Jon Koncak.

It's over now. All that's left now are the memories.