Atlanta Hawks

none

Hawks’ Guard Garrison Matthews Engaged with Students and Georgia’s Youngest Certified Farmer, Kendall Rae Johnson, as They Learned About Hands-On Planting and Harvesting Process

ATLANTA – On Tuesday, the Hawks and State Farm teamed up to host a gardening event, Growing Places, for local youth to teach them about sustainability. At the event, which took place at the Good Neighbor Club at the N.H. Scott Recreation Center, students were joined by Hawks’ Guard, Garrison Mathews, as they learned how to plant and harvest produce and make refreshing smoothies with fresh produce with Georgia’s youngest certified farmer, Kendall Rae Johnson.

“The State Farm Good Neighbor Clubs and Hawks Community Courts are our home away from home where we can build communities and provide educational opportunities and basketball programs for youth to learn, grow, and thrive,” said Hawks’ Vice President of Community Impact and Basketball Programs, Jon Babul. “Our commitment to youth development goes beyond basketball, and education is the foundation and catalyst for opportunity. The knowledge shared today about sustainable, healthy lifestyles will last a lifetime.”

Students joined Johnson and the Chattahoochee Nature Center for a panel about sustainability and how gardening can help everyday life. Following the panel, students learned about the life cycle of produce as they planted tomatoes, beets, carrot seeds, and more in the garden alongside volunteers from the Chattahoochee Nature Center.

At the next station, youth learned how to correctly harvest the food and were able to make a refreshing smoothie with produce with Johnson. The students were also able to engage with a box turtle at another station and learn how wildlife interacts with nature.

“State Farm’s partnership with the Atlanta Hawks continues to have a positive impact on students across metro Atlanta,” said State Farm Corporate Responsibility Manager, Tanya James. “We are currently partnering to give students at the N.H. Scott Recreation Center the opportunity to learn about gardening from experts like Kendall Rae Johnson and the Chattahoochee Nature Center. Students will assist with planting seeds in the community garden and learn about sustainable gardening practices. Helping students learn about gardening deepens our commitment to impacting food insecurity while building safer, stronger, and better educated communities.” 

Last week, Hawks and State Farm worked together to prepare the garden for today’s event and continued future use. Volunteers from both organizations set up new plant beds, planted flowers, and installed a new shed and fence, which youth were able to enjoy as part of the event.

The students also helped at today’s event by painting rocks to decorate the garden. The youth at the N.H. Scott Recreation Center Good Neighbor Club can continue to implement the skills they learned at today’s event and enjoy the fresh produce from the garden.

The Hawks and State Farm have led efforts in multiple community-focused initiatives to better serve Metro Atlanta. In January 2022, the organizations opened the newly renovated and expanded ‘Good Neighbor Pantry’ with a ‘Stock the Pantry Party’ to support underserved seniors in the community. The Hawks and State Farm also host the annual Million Meal Pack, the team’s largest service initiative, in which they pack more than one million meals for the Atlanta community.&nbsp;

To learn more about the Hawks work in the community, visit Hawks.com/Community.

To learn more about how State Farm supports Safety, Education, and Community Development, visit: Community Service & Involvement - State Farm®.

atlanta-hawks-state-farm-teach-youth-how-to-garden-sustainably

Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Teach Youth How To Garden Sustainably

Deondre Jones is the Atlanta Hawks Sekou Smith Summer Intern for 2024. Each summer, a journalism or multi-media student from a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) school is selected to serve as the Hawks’ beat writer for NBA Summer League, and their work appears on the team’s digital team properties, providing valuable experience. Smith served as the AJC’s Hawks beat writer from 2005-09 before joining NBA Digital as a multimedia reporter and analyst. He also spent time at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS and the Indianapolis Star, where he covered the Indiana Pacers as the team’s beat writer.

The City of Grand Rapids&nbsp;paid&nbsp;tribute to the late Sekou Smith, esteemed NBA journalist, by unveiling Sekou Smith Way on Wednesday, May 15th, which would have marked his 52nd birthday.&nbsp;

Smith, a beloved figure within the NBA community, left an indelible mark on the sport through his insightful reporting, unwavering passion, and genuine love for the game. His untimely passing in January 2021 deeply saddened many fans, colleagues, and players alike, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire. Smith was the creator of ‘Hangtime’ podcast and host of ‘Gametime’ and ‘The Beat’ for NBA TV.

“This is a beautiful honor for a legendary sportswriter. I miss Sekou dearly. We started covering the NBA around the same time,” said 2023 Curt Gowdy Print Media award winner Marc J. Spears. “I miss calling him to talk about basketball and life while always finding laughter in the process. He’s gone too soon but will never be forgotten. It takes an amazing and extraordinary human to have anything named after you. Sekou definitely was the definition of that.”

The decision to name a street after Smith is a testament to his profound impact, not only within the realm of basketball but also within the communities he touched. Grand Rapids, his hometown, proudly honors his memory by immortalizing his name on the street that he grew up on which will serve as a perpetual reminder of his contributions and the values he embodied.

His sister, Misti Stanton, expressed that it's been a long time coming. “We've been advocating for the city to honor Sekou by naming the street he grew up on after him, and we're thrilled that it's finally happened."&nbsp;

The unveiling ceremony, scheduled&nbsp;on&nbsp;his birthday,&nbsp;is&nbsp;a poignant moment for those who knew and admired Smith. It&nbsp;brought&nbsp;together friends, family, colleagues, and fans to celebrate his life and legacy, ensuring that his spirit lives on in the hearts of all who were touched by his kindness, wisdom, and infectious enthusiasm.

“We all will one day leave this place, right? And for someone to be able to advocate for who you were as a person, your character, and your integrity within your profession … To be able to do that for somebody who was not only my baby brother, but who was a&nbsp;great man, it felt like I was honoring his life both as&nbsp;a professional writer and as a person,” said Stanton.

“Having a street in his beloved hometown named in his honor is another way his legacy will be kept alive,” Spears&nbsp;said.&nbsp;“Sure,&nbsp;he humbly would be uncomfortable with it,&nbsp;but,&nbsp;his story needs to forever be told and every time someone drives down this street his book is opened again.

As Sekou Smith Way&nbsp;was&nbsp;unveiled, it will serve as more than just a street name; it will symbolize the enduring impact of a man whose dedication to his craft and genuine humanity left an indelible mark on the world of basketball and beyond.

grand-rapids-honors-sekou-smith-with-street-naming-ceremony

Grand Rapids Honors Sekou Smith with Street Naming Ceremony

Up on the stage at the&nbsp;McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Hawks General Manager Landry Fields watched as NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum revealed the draft order by opening envelopes in reverse order from the No. 14 pick to the No. 1 pick&nbsp;

"Once the 10th pick was shown, I knew we had launched into the top four," Fields said afterward, "so everything kind of swirls through your head at that point in time, and you're like, 'OK, we actually have a crack at this thing,'&nbsp;and lo and behold, here we are."

Tatum opened envelopes revealing the Spurs, Rockets, and Wizards as the recipients of picks No. 4, 3, and 2, respectively.

The Hawks had won the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery and now hold the rights to the No. 1 pick when&nbsp;the&nbsp;NBA Draft begins on June 26.

Moments earlier, in the room backstage where the ping-pong balls were randomly tossed and selected, Hawks Vice President of Player Personnel Daniel Starkman watched with representatives of the other 13 teams as picks No. 1 through No. 14 were determined in forward order. Byron Spruell, President of League Operations for the NBA, announced the procedural rules. Balls numbered from 1 to 14 went into the machine, and the first ones to come out were the ones to determine the holder of the No. 1 overall pick.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Hawks only held 30 of the 1000 unordered combinations for a 3.0 percent chance of winning. 6-10-13-14 was one of them.

After the envelopes were opened, Starkman came out from where he was sequestered&nbsp;to celebrate with Fields.

"He came out and gave me the ping pong balls and everything," Fields said. "He had the world's largest smile on his face, and we had a really nice moment there in front of the stage together."

Fields said that draft preparations began long before Sunday's lottery, and the only thing that has changed is the opportunity gained in picking before any of the other 29 teams.

"Our process for choosing players and bringing them into the building has already begun," he said. "We've been doing it. Our scouts have been extremely hard at work. People have been on the road, I've been on the road. We're prepared for this moment."

Then he added, "We'll get together as a group and continuously beat this thing up every which way to make sure that we're doing right and what's best for the Atlanta Hawks."

Prior to Sunday, the NBA's 40th Lottery, the Hawks had been through the lottery process 14 times. They had never won, finishing 3rd just once in 2007.&nbsp;

Now they have one win, and they also have one excellent chance to add a foundational piece for their future.&nbsp;

"It's an exciting day for the Hawks," Fields said. "It's so good for our franchise. It's exciting for us."

from-odds-to-opportunity-a-look-into-the-hawks-first-ever-nba-draft-lottery-win

From Odds to Opportunity: A Look into the Hawks' First-Ever NBA Draft Lottery Win

Second Time in Franchise History Hawks Own First Overall Pick in Draft

ATLANTA&nbsp;– The Atlanta Hawks secured the first overall pick at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, which was conducted earlier today in Chicago. The first pick in this year’s draft is Atlanta’s own.

Entering today’s lottery, the Hawks held a 3% chance of receiving the top overall pick in this year’s draft. It’s just the second time in Atlanta history the club owns the first overall pick, as the Hawks selected David Thompson with the first pick in the 1975 NBA Draft.

The 2024 NBA Draft, presented by State Farm, will mark the 78th&nbsp;year of the event. New this year, the NBA Draft will expand to a two-night format. The first round will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at the Barclays Center, while the second round will take place at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios on Thursday, June 27.&nbsp;The first round will continue to have five minutes between draft picks and the second round will increase to four minutes from two minutes.

ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App will each air the first round, and ESPN and the ESPN App will broadcast the second round. Coverage on both nights will begin at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN Radio will also provide national coverage of the NBA Draft.

Details for local media coverage of the Hawks’ draft nights will be sent at a later date.

atlanta-hawks-secure-first-overall-pick-in-2024-nba-draft

Atlanta Hawks Secure First Overall Pick in 2024 NBA Draft

Of the 14 NBA teams who will participate in Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, the Atlanta Hawks have the 10th-best odds of landing the top overall draft pick, as well as the 10th-best odds of nabbing a top-4 overall pick in the NBA Draft that will be held on June 26 and 27. 

The lottery process determines which teams will hold the first four spots in the draft; the remaining ten teams are then slotted in order based upon their winning percentage from the 2023-24 regular season. As a result, one thing we already know is that the Hawks won't walk away from Sunday's lottery process with a pick in the 5-9 range. Those outcomes are mathematically impossible. They will either jump into the top 4, or they will end up with a pick that ends up 10th or lower.&nbsp;

The most likely outcome, by a large margin, is that the Hawks end up with the 10th-overall pick. There is a 65.91 percent that&nbsp;the pick&nbsp;stays in the 10th spot. The second-most probable outcome is that they fall to the 11th spot. After those two, the next most likely results involve them leapfrogging into the top-four spots.

Below is the full list of likelihoods, in order from most probable to least:

With no prior trades involving this pick, there are also no contingencies in play. The Hawks will finish Sunday with a top-14 pick in hand.&nbsp;The actual lottery procedure takes place away from the stage in a separate room prior to the televised broadcast. Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams. The Hawks will have 30 of the 1000 combinations assigned to them.

The drawing process occurs as follows: All 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine and mixed for 20 seconds, then the first ball is selected. The process is then repeated three more times in 10-second intervals. The team that has been assigned that four-number combination will receive&nbsp;the No. 1 pick.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This process is repeated with the same ping-pong balls and same machine for picks Nos. 2, 3 and 4.

If the same team comes up more than once, the result is discarded, and another four-ball combination is selected. Also, if the one unassigned combination of 11-12-13-14 is drawn, then the result is ignored and the process repeated. Here is what the selection process&nbsp;looked like in 2023.&nbsp;

Sunday will mark the 40th NBA Lottery since its inception in 1985. The Hawks themselves have participated in 14 of those 40 drawings, landing top-4 picks in 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2018, but never going home with the top overall pick.

One might say that the Hawks are due for a bit of good fortune, and with any luck, they will get it this weekend.

calculating-the-odds-atlanta-hawks-chances-in-the-2024-nba-draft-lottery

Calculating the Odds: Atlanta Hawks' Chances in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks have named Onsi Saleh as an assistant general manager, the team announced today.

“Onsi has played significant roles with two of the most well-respected organizations in the NBA,” General Manager Landry Fields said. “In addition to his experience and expertise, we are thrilled to add someone with our shared values to our leadership team.”

Saleh comes to the Hawks from the Golden State Warriors, where he served as vice president, basketball strategy & team counsel last season. He was previously the Warriors’ director of basketball strategy & team counsel in 2022-23 and basketball strategy/assistant team counsel in 2021-22.

Prior to his time with Golden State, Saleh spent five years with the San Antonio Spurs, finishing as the team’s director of strategy & process/chief of staff.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Saleh graduated from the University of Alberta with a bachelor’s in biological sciences and an after-degree in history. He then earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from Tulane University Law School in 2017. He was named to the 2024 San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 list in March. The list recognizes business leaders under 40 making significant contributions to their company and the Bay Area community.

atlanta-hawks-name-onsi-saleh-assistant-general-manager

Atlanta Hawks Name Onsi Saleh Assistant General Manager

Inaugural challenge offers opportunity for students to imagine and design an automated and sustainable sports arena

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) and the Atlanta Hawks today celebrated students participating in their inaugural Arena of the Future Innovation Challenge at State Farm Arena.

The top three winning teams’ schools were awarded by Honeywell a total of $10,000 in prizes, with the first-place team’s school winning $7,500, $1,500 to second, and $1,000 to third. The winners are:

"I am inspired by the creativity and dedication of the students participating in the Arena of the Future Challenge,” said Billal Hammoud, president and chief executive officer, Honeywell’s Building Automation business segment. “Their forward-thinking solutions are a testament to the power of community and education in shaping a greener, more sustainable future. Supporting our next generation of leaders is essential to ensuring a future that is fueled by innovation and collaboration.”

The eight-week challenge brought together nearly 30 high school students from Atlanta schools to conceptualize a blueprint for a next-generation arena with building automation and sustainability components as the cornerstones. Participating students were encouraged to include water conservation, energy generating solutions, and technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence in their designs.

Each student team was guided by mentors from Honeywell as it brainstormed concepts to help improve building automation and sustainability efforts at State Farm Arena. The Challenge concluded with Honeywell and the Hawks hosting today’s capstone event at State Farm Arena, where each team pitched its design to industry judges from the Hawks and Honeywell.

Earlier this year,&nbsp;Honeywell announced&nbsp;it became the Official Sustainable Building Technology Partner for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. The Stadium of the Future Innovation Challenge is one component of the community engagement program in development and collaboration with the Atlanta Hawks.

To learn more about the Hawks and State Farm Arena’s sustainability efforts, visit StateFarmArena.com/sustainability.

hawks-and-honeywell-announce-winners-of-arena-of-the-future-challenge

Hawks and Honeywell Announce Winners of Arena of the Future Challenge

Award-Winning Downtown Atlanta Venue to Use Smart Restroom Technology and Product Recycling to Improve Environmental Footprint and Customer Experience

ATLANTA – As Earth Month comes to a close, the Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena, and Kimberly-Clark Professional™ today announced a new multi-year, sustainability-focused partnership. 

Throughout the award-winning downtown Atlanta venue, Kimberly-Clark Professional branding and products, including Scott® paper towels and Kleenex® tissue, soap dispensers, and hand sanitizers will be featured at select Hawks’ home games. Kimberly-Clark Professional branding will also appear on the uniform shirts worn by the Hawks’ Mop Crew, who are responsible for cleaning the hardwood floor during timeouts and halftime. 

Kimberly-Clark recently earned the #2 spot on&nbsp;Barron’s list of most sustainable U.S. companies&nbsp;for its achievements in reducing its environmental footprint and&nbsp;announced its ambition to be 100% Natural Forest Free in all its products.

“We are excited to continue our sustainability efforts by partnering with Kimberly-Clark Professional,” said Hawks’ EVP and State Farm Arena General Manager Brett Stefansson. “Our two organizations have continued to focus on quality and innovation in the realm of workplace hygiene and safety, and we truly believe that this new relationship will help us prioritize the well-being of our Atlanta community.”

In April 2022, Green Business Certification Inc., the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, announced that State Farm Arena earned a TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum certification.

With this achievement, State Farm Arena is now the world’s first and only sports and live entertainment venue to receive TRUE certification and has been re-certified to maintain this standard of excellence. Since May 2021, the venue has consistently diverted a minimum of 90 percent of all waste from landfills.

“At Kimberly-Clark Professional, our purpose is to provide Better Care for a Better World,” said Susan Gambardella, President, Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. “We look forward to helping this important customer meet their sustainability goals with environmentally responsible products and programs.”&nbsp;

Onvation®  is one of Kimberly-Clark Professional’s programs, a connected software solution that proactively controls and optimizes restroom servicing. It can decrease the time staff spend checking dispensers by more than 90 percent per year, reduce consumable waste by up to 80 percent, directly impact hygiene levels, and service rotations, and achieve up to 75 percent fewer visitor complaints, all while positively impacting the guest experience.

As an additional part of this partnership, State Farm Arena will be integrated into a successful product recycling program created by Kimberly-Clark Professional to help further advance the venue’s sustainability goals.&nbsp;Since 2011, this program has helped Kimberly-Clark Professional customers divert over 5.5 million pounds of plastic waste streams from landfill3.&nbsp;

“We’re dedicated to the teamwork it takes to help create better customer experiences,” said Ignacio Suit, Chief Customer Officer, Kimberly-Clark Professional. “Many customers know our brands, and these brands serve as a promise to guests of safety and cleanliness from a responsible and ethical source.

The Hawks and State Farm Arena continue to lead the way in sustainable practices for sports and live event venues. To learn more about the organization’s commitment to sustainability, visit StateFarmArena.com/sustainability.