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After spearheading a late comeback over the Grizzlies with 10 points, 3 assists, and some feisty defensive ball pressure, Sharife Cooper deadpanned that he wanted to be a shot in the arm for the Hawks.

"I definitely want to be an energy boost for the team. I know we've got a lot of old guys," he told Lauren Jbara of Bally Sports Southeast.

How young is Cooper? The 20-year-old doesn't have any first-hand memories of the assistant coach who has worked with him most. Cooper was just 4 years old when Nick Van Exel played his final NBA game.

"I've seen some highlights of the Lakers," Cooper said. "When (Coach Van Exel) finally got here, I actually looked a little bit. It's crazy to have a coach like that – who is kind of similar – to be able to teach me and work with me every day."

Both Cooper and fellow 2021 draftee Jalen Johnson have contributed meaningful minutes in the preseason. Cooper has averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 assists in 16.1 minutes per game. Johnson has added 3.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 17.6 minutes. 

But the fact of the matter is that Cooper and Johnson are coming into the NBA in a different way than their recent predecessors, Trae Young and John Collins, who entered the league on Hawks teams that won 24 and 29 games, respectively, in their rookie seasons. This Hawks team has a deep roster and postseason aspirations, and those aspirations move the development of young players into a different light.

"We're still developing, but we're competing now. It's not about giving that guy that opportunity and continuing to just let him work on it," head coach Nate McMillan said. "We're not in that developing stage where we are giving things to our young team. We need for them to be productive in their growth."

Even so, the Hawks could need Johnson and Cooper, and the preseason has already borne that notion out. Injuries to Trae Young, Delon Wright, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu have shrunk the Hawks' depth and opened opportunities for the two draftees in the preseason. When the veterans return, those windows of in-game opportunity could narrow, but the rookies will still be able to work on their game behind the scenes.

Lou Williams, who is going into his 17th NBA season, had a quick example when asked if he could recall a situation where rookies had to earn a spot on a deep team.

"Yeah, me," Williams said of his experience of joining the Philadelphia 76ers straight out of South Gwinnett High School. "I didn't have an opportunity to play my first two years. I was behind Allen Iverson and Kevin Ollie. Obviously, there wasn't going to be a lot of minutes there for me."

"Every day was a learning experience for me," Williams added. "Every day was something I was able to build on – out of practice, out of games. A lot of just traveling and being around this environment of being a professional athlete."

Cooper, in particular, is with the Hawks on a two-way contract that will see him spend time with the Hawks' G League Affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, but he can also be on the Hawks’ active roster for up to 50 games during the upcoming season.

 McMillan was pleased with Cooper's play after Cooper directed the fourth quarter comeback on both ends of the floor over Memphis

“I thought he did a good job of running the team and organizing the team down the stretch," McMIllan said. "I love the energy that he’s bringing. He’s scrappy, he’s playing scrappy basketball, and he’s trying to make a statement.”

Johnson's greatest strengths are similar to Cooper's: he looks quite comfortable making plays to set up teammates with the ball in his hands. 

"They're letting me make a lot of plays out of the mid-post area as a 4," Johnson said. "I'm just trying to make the most of it."

His head coach is ready to empower him as a facilitator, but the NBA is a steep challenge for rookie decision-makers.

"He has the ability to push the ball down the floor and make decisions with the basketball – both in transition as well as the halfcourt," McMillan said. 

Johnson's level of playmaking is more unique considering that his first role in the NBA will be as a power forward, and it may enable him to play multiple positions at some point in the future.

"I look at him really right now just as a 4. You don't want to put a lot on his plate as a rookie coming in," McMillan said. "His ability to handle and shoot allows him to think about playing some 3. His size and his athleticism allows him to play some 5, too, because of his big frame – and he's going to get even thicker."

"He's a talented big who can play above the rim and rebound at a high clip. He's one of those hybrid guys who can shoot, run the floor and give us a couple of different looks. Over time, I'm sure his game will get loaded and he'll find out where he can be successful and he'll hone in on that.

 Johnson believes that the floor-spacing of the NBA game is better suited to his style of play than college was.  

"You can make more things happen. This style of play is meant for my game. It feels organic. It feels natural."

While both of the Hawks' new young playmakers may need to observe and learn at the start of their NBA careers, both Johnson and Cooper have shown flashes in the preseason that bode well for their long-term prospects.

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Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper Are Ready To Make Plays

Keith Dorsey is the founder and CEO of Young Guns Entertainment, the largest black social media talent agency in the US, which manages Collab Crib, an all-black content house based in Atlanta. Featured in the New York Times Presents: Who Gets to Be an Influencer, the docuseries looks at their "90-day blitz to rack up followers and win over sponsors." Meanwhile, Dorsey is currently paving ways in the world of talent and entertainment management with his creators who have a combined following of 200 million followers across all platforms. When the Hawks made the NBA Playoffs for the first time in three years, the team partnered with Collab Crib for original social content to create even more excitement for this historic post-season run. 

Guest writer Maya Packer spoke with Dorsey as he prepares to give the Keynote presentation along with Hawks Sr. Director of Marketing Narcis Alikhani at the 2021 Social Shake Conference, designed to highlight the latest social media trends as they relate to Business &amp; Strategy, Creative &amp; Storytelling, and Platforms &amp; Case Studies.

MP: What goes into creating a content house?

KD: First of all, you need content creators. You need a dope space that looks good when they make content. Also, you need the financing portion of “how is it going to be paid?”. 

MP: Who is the target audience for Collab Crib and why did you choose to create content for that specific group?

KD: There really isn't a target audience, but most of my content creators’ main audience is anywhere from 15 to 30 years old.  

MP: Managing so many different influencers and partnerships, how do you stay on top of what content is on-trend and appropriate for your audience?

KD: We’re always studying what trends are ahead at the moment. They're not just creating content, they're literally studying the algorithm. Sometimes you have to shift from the type of content that you're making to what the market is receiving. They're always looking and adjusting based on what's happening in the industry.

MP: Why was it important to you to create all-black content houses?

KD: There were so many other opportunities that were happening for the white content houses in LA. I was like we're missing out on stuff, and a lot of the ideas and a lot of the things that they were adopting from our culture, they were benefiting on big time. I’m talking millions and millions of dollars, and opportunities to live in million dollar homes. And I was like, Wait a minute.

MP: As you’ve probably heard, black creators are pulling back from creating original trends because they believe white creators may appropriate their content, taking it as their own and gaining the popularity and fame that should belong to the original creator. Where does Collab Crib stand on this issue? 

KD: I think that was a major issue with content creators getting their content stolen. During that [boycott] period of time we were shooting a reality show so we really missed what was going [[{"fid":"133576","view_mode":"square_box","fields":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-square-box media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"4"}}]]on with that because we weren't posting anyway. At the end of the day we have other opportunities and one thing that Collab Crib does not do, is they don't create a sob story. They create an opportunity for themselves to find a solution to the issue, which is working with other apps. Right now, we’re creative advisors for an app called Fan Base which is black owned.

MP: Why did you choose Atlanta as the base for the Collab Crib and Young Guns Entertainment?

KD: We had a really serious talk about it. Atlanta is where we’re from and Atlanta is the root of our lives. When it comes to black culture and Black Entertainment, Atlanta’s the Mecca. I said why not launch here and build a support system here.

MP: How is Collab Crib impacting the community of Atlanta?

KD: We have really been a hope and a light for other creatives to see that it’s possible in Atlanta. As well as being a part of the economy and creating a new economy in Atlanta for content creators.

MP: What did it mean for you to have Collab Crib collaborate with the Hawks?

KD: That was the best partnership we’ve ever had. To partner with the sports team that represents the city, it’s major. It also amplifies what we’re doing and the seriousness of it. It’s super [[{"fid":"133574","view_mode":"square_box","fields":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-square-box media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"2"}}]]important to partner on that scale because, again, it shows other creators that it's possible to do something on that scale. It goes right along with the culture; The Hawks is rooted deeply in the culture of Atlanta and the Collab Crib is rooted in the culture of Atlanta.

MP: The Collab Crib, staying true to its name, has had partnerships with many brands along with the Hawks such as Nike/Jordan, the Warnock x Ossof campaign, Casper,  Chick-fil-a, and Rolling Loud...why do you put such a focus on collaboration with other brands?

KD: In this economy, collaboration is the main thing to do. Things are changing the way brands and companies are working together. You know the name itself speaks for itself. We can just collaborate with brands and companies and utilize both resources. Just like with the Hawks, they had resources they wanted and we had resources they needed.

MP: What do you think companies and brands looking to connect with their markets should know about the world of social media, content houses, and influencers?

KD: First off, social media and influencers are the most powerful concepts in the world right now. People are believing and receiving information through content creators more than they are doing with traditional marketing. They have fans that relate to them, more than anything, so they’re going to believe their friend or their favorite content creator, more than they will just looking at a billboard.

MP: On your Instagram, you have discussed you and your creators being turned down by talent agencies and overlooked for creator events in Atlanta. What has it been like to overcome the stereotypes that possible partners associate with the Collab Crib because of the race of its influencers?

KD: It's like a breath of fresh air and it's like, look, we're doing this on our own. We turned down so many poor deals, and they don't expect us to. We went to Miami for Rolling Loud and we [[{"fid":"133575","view_mode":"square_box","fields":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"square_box","alignment":"left"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-square-box media-wysiwyg-align-left","data-delta":"3"}}]]paid $70,000 for a mansion in Miami out of our own budget. That is very fulfilling and it also raises our belief level that we can do more and more and more without needing these big agencies because we are the big agency.

MP: What differentiates Young Guns Entertainment from other more mainstream and established media/entertainment companies?

KD: It's genuinely real black-owned and it's run by the creators. We're revolutionizing something that was not there, so we're ahead of the curve. Traditional labels and agencies are trying to catch up right now. The only thing that we're missing is a big budget to be able to maneuver on a grand scale.

MP: What areas of entertainment do you see Collab Crib moving into as it grows further?

KD: We're really moving from this being a social media management company to really an agency-- a music label and entertainment agency as well. A lot of [the creators] are being booked for acting gigs, and we have a reality show now. We're doing stuff politically now. We're partnering with Kasim Reed with the next race coming up. Consulting as well because a lot of people don't understand social media and how it works.

MP: How did it feel knowing you had been tapped as a keynote speaker for the Social Shake Up conference?

KD: It was like, ‘Man, this is huge’. Now I get to speak in front of all these brands that I literally want to get in contact with. Now I'm about to speak to their whole social media department teams. It’s big, not only for me, but it's big because the problem is we don't get noticed. They don't know that we're here. Every company I've worked with always said ‘We didn't even know you guys were here’.

MP: As someone pushing content into the community, what does it mean to you to be “True to Atlanta”?

KD: How to stay true to Atlanta is you prosper what you are planning, you keep the economy here and you keep the economy flowing in Atlanta, as Atlanta has supported you. You keep [what] your building in Atlanta and that’s what we’re doing. True to Atlanta right there. 

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Co-founder of the Hottest Social Media Talent Agency Talks Content, Collaboration and Creators of Color

The Hawks picked freshman Jalen Johnson from Duke with the 20th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday, and followed it up by taking Auburn freshman Sharife Cooper with the 48th overall selection.

“Jalen is an extremely talented player. He has great size and great ball skills, rebounds and defends,” Hawks President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Travis Schlenk said.  

In 21.4 minutes per game, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He shot 52.3 percent from the field and made 8 of 18 threes over his 13 games played.  

"I see him as a combo forward," Schlenk said of the 6-foot-9 freshman. "He has got the defensive versatility to play a lot of defensive positions as you saw this year at Duke. And he has got the ball skills to play on the perimeter but the size and strength to play inside as well. We view him as the modern NBA (player) being able to play inside and outside and (with) defensive versatility."

Johnson said that his jump shot has been a focus of his offseason training as he prepared for his pro career. He expressed excitement on joining the Hawks' young core after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

"They're a crazy young talented group. Like it's so fun to watch. Trae, he was a bucket the whole playoffs and he was just entertainment, pure entertainment. I'm excited to play with him, the other guys, Cam Reddish. It's just a great young talented group. I feel myself fitting in just great there."

Johnson, who is a native of Milwaukee, transferred to Nicolet High School prior to his junior season. He was named the 2019 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 19.9 points per game and leading Nicolet to the Division 2 State Championship.

In 12 games last season, the 6-foot-1 Cooper averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 33.1 minutes. He is one of two NCAA Division I freshmen in the last 30 years to average 20 points and 8 assists per game. The other is Trae Young. It's not hard to envision a future point in time where Cooper can jump in to give the Hawks some Trae-like passing. 

“We had (Sharife) ranked much higher obviously than 48. We got pretty excited when we saw him there late,” Schlenk said. “(He's) just a really, really good playmaker. He’s good with the ball in his hands, a very good passer. He pushes tempo and has the ability to get to the foul line. He did come in and work out for us, and he shot the ball much better than he did this past year. We feel like the jump shot will be there, so we're excited to add him to our program as well."

Like Johnson, Cooper won the 2019 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year while leading McEachern High School to their first state title in school history. He was born in Newark, NJ before moving to the Atlanta area. 

Now that the Hawks have drafted him, Cooper will be coming home, and Jalen Johnson will be moving here to join him and a young, talented group of Hawks.

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Hawks pick Johnson and Cooper in 2021 NBA Draft

Another playoff series, another opportunity. The Hawks went on the road to start their third series, and for the third time in three tries, the Hawks came away with a Game 1 win: 116-113 in Milwaukee. Trae Young paced the Hawks early and late, scoring a playoff career-high 48 points to go with 11 assists and 7 rebounds, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 45 or more points and 10 or more assists in a conference finals game.If John Collins wasn't at a complete loss for words to describe his teammate's performance, he at least lacked a new way to describe it."I don't really have – in a great way – much to say about Trae. It's almost normal at this point to me," Collins said. "48 points is amazing. He brought his lunch pail today."Trae indeed brought a workmanlike attitude to the game. When the Bucks played a big lineup featuring Brook Lopez at center protecting the rim, Trae ran the pick-and-roll and scored on a series of floaters in the paint. When the Bucks played a smaller lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and defended the pick-and-roll with switches, Trae scored on threes, one-on-one drives and free throws to eke out just enough offense for the win.Trae also made two breathtaking plays in the third quarter that will be remembered for a long time. First, he ran a pick-and-roll with John Collins and scooped a pass off the glass for the alley-oop dunk. Two minutes later, he set up like he was going to run another pick-and-roll with Collins, but then sharply reversed direction with a crossover dribble away from the screen, leaving the defender on the wrong side of the screen several feet away. Trae paused, took a deep breath, shimmied his shoulders and sank the three. 

“I had a lot of time," Trae quipped afterward. "I was kind of tired a little bit. I got a little second to get a deep breath and knock it down." 

And while the alley-oop off the glass left jaws slacked across the globe, it did not count as an assist in the official scorebook. Collins, who finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds, was not surprised by the pass, nor was it the first time in his career that he had converted such a helper from Trae."I can't really give away how I know, but I knew, for sure," Collins said afterward.The Bucks, who were led by 34 points and 9 assists from Antetokounmpo, nearly pulled away from the Hawks in the fourth quarter. After a first half where they successfully drove to the rim and scored with a number of players, they used Antetokounmpo as a screener and roller late in the game to convert a number of assisted dunks. When the Hawks trailed by 4 points with two minutes remaining, they made perhaps their most significant series of plays. After a pair of missed threes, Collins and Capela snared successive offensive rebounds to keep the possession alive, with Collins eventually fanning out to the corner and knocking down a three to convert Trae's 11th assist.Capela, in addition to drawing the difficult assignment of guarding Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, grabbed a career playoff-high 19 rebounds, including a putback layup with 29.8 seconds left that gave the Hawks the lead for good. Stat of the Game: Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was listed on the pregame injury report as questionable with right knee soreness, started and led the Hawks with three steals."We need him," Kevin Huerter said. "He's a smart player, just really good at the game of basketball, just knowing the game and being in the right spots. He's out there on one leg. He's gutting it out for us right now."Quote of the game Clint Capela, on Trae's alley-oop off the glass and shimmy three:"It gets our bench hyped. It gets us hyped. It's just – it's crazy, man. It's just crazy. Even that pass off the backboard, that's crazy. That's crazy. I mean, I've played with a lot of good players, but I've never seen that, especially at this stage. It's crazy to see."Highlight of the gameI guess we'll let Clint pick this one:

Noteworthy:In taking Game 1 of the series, the Hawks won their first-ever Conference Finals game. 

Next game info:The Hawks and Bucks resume the series with Game 2 Friday. You can catch it at 8:30 PM ET on TNT.Next home game:

The series shifts back to State Farm Arena for Game 3 on Sunday. (8:30 PM ET, TNT)

trae-leads-the-hawks-to-another-game-1-road-win

Trae Leads the Hawks to Another Game 1 Road Win

When we are on the road (and home too), Kent Bazemore and Mike Muscala dive into the world of podcasting. They give their takes on topics like sports, travel, video games and more. Host (and social media guru) Annie Finberg joins the two to keep them on track along the way.  See below for latest episodes!

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Road Trippin' ATL: Poppin’ Bottles & Saying Our Goodbyes

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @KLChouinard

Cooper Henderson is 8 years old, and he is infatuated with basketball. 

Sometimes being obsessed with basketball means Cooper stands in front of the TV and calls out NBA players' names while doing his own personal play-by-play broadcast for the game.  Sometimes it means he plays his younger brother, Brody, in NBA2K18. Cooper plays with the Golden State Warriors and Brody uses the Hawks to ensure that he has Kent Bazemore on his team.

But video games are for the rainy days. On sunny days, being hooked on basketball means games of one-on-one against Brody in the backyard -- tough, competitive, older brother/younger brother contests played on a concrete court walled off with old electric pole timbers. Cooper's go-to move is a jump shot. 

"They play 'make it, take it', and they are serious," Cooper's mother, Amy, said. "They go hard."

The boys' uncle taught them how to play the game, but for the past couple of years Cooper has added to his skill set while participating in Jr. Hawks Camps. At the end of a camp last summer, Cooper's team won a tournament consisting of the campers from age 7 to 9.

"He absolutely loved it," Amy said. "He liked the competition teams. He loved the coaches. All the staff members were just very friendly, and it was a close family."

This month, Cooper and Brody attended a Jr. Hawks Camp on the practice court in Philips Arena on the Sunday morning before the Hawks/Suns game. After a couple of hours of well-organized, upbeat skill development, the campers, ranging in age from seven to 16, were broken up into 12 groups consisting of three or four campers each. The first group to make 10 free-throw length jump shots would win the shooting contest and get chance to dig into the prize box. Cooper was raring to go because the kid just loves to compete. 

Cooper and two teammates lined up to get ready. After missing his first attempt, he quickly rebounded the ball for a teammate and recalibrated his shot. His team didn't end up winning, but Cooper swished five of his team's eight shots. As impressive as the feat was for an 8-year-old shooting on 10-foot rims, it was even more so astounding because Cooper was born without a left hand.

"Truth be told, he's one of the best shooters and best players out there," Vice President of Basketball Development Jon Babul said. "We celebrate inclusion, and we celebrate triumph among challenges, and he's a walking example of that."

Not every camper has to be as dedicated to the game as Cooper, whose first word as a baby was 'ball'. Members of the camp staff emphasize enjoyment of the game and a positive coaching experience geared around fun for kids of multiple ages and skill levels.  

"We're exposing youth to healthy habits and exercise," Babul said. "There are so many benefits to the game of basketball outside of just shooting, passing, dribbling and defense. What we emphasize is the life skills: teamwork, communication, how to be coached and how to be a good teammate."

As part of the camp, Cooper and Brody got tickets to the Hawks game against the Suns. With mom Amy, they watched as the Hawks pulled off a late-game comeback on a dramatic three-point shot by Taurean Prince. The Hawks won because, just like Cooper, Prince is a pretty good jump shooter. 

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8-Year-Old Defying Odds To Live His Basketball Dream

With the changes to our roster over the course of the season, we currently have eight rookies (including two-way contracts).  Can you name them all in under a minute?

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Trivia: Can You Name All 8 Hawks Rookies In 60 Seconds?

SEATTLE and ATLANTA –- Seattle-based design firm Hornall Anderson partnered with the Atlanta Hawks to bring the future of Atlanta to life in “The Preview,” an unprecedented sales center experience that opens this week to give potential suite and seat buyers a preview of the Philips Arena transformation. 

Beyond a simple renovation, the transformation promises to make the new Philips Arena Atlanta’s new hub for downtown nightlife, a place where “the lights never go out.” The Preview experience brings the vision to life in a big way, offering a multi-media journey into what a great night out in Atlanta will look and feel like once the world-class arena opens its doors this coming fall.

Full of interactive features and engaging, self-guided activities, the sales center offers a deep dive into how the new arena transcends the role of host for basketball games, concerts and events. Billed as the best sports and live entertainment venue in Atlanta with approximately 160 events and over 1.6 guests visiting annually, the arena and its transformation with the City of Atlanta recently won Rehab/Renovation Deal of the Year in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2018 Best in Atlanta Real Estate Awards.  

The Preview experience flows like an unforgettable night out, beginning in an inviting “green room”-like welcome area with a club lounge feel and curated wall full of iconic sports and music memorabilia to spark interest and conversation. A series of technology-powered main events follow—all choreographed and tailored to each visitor’s interests. From an inspiring video projected onto a curved theater wall that responds to guests’ movements, to a scale model inviting interaction and exploration of the new arena, there are many twists and turns to discover. The experience culminates in a relaxed conversation area inspired by the features and feel of the new arena suites, and the entertainment vibe, unique spirit and Southern charm of Atlanta itself.      

“Our objective was to create an experience with the Hawks that brought together cutting-edge technology, storytelling and physical space to excite, inspire and persuade visitors,” said Jeff Alpen, Hornall Anderson Managing Director. “The space is a beautiful combination of innovation, exploration and function and celebrates the uniqueness and vibrancy of Atlanta and its people.”  

Designed to build anticipation and reward curiosity, the sales center puts visitors in control of their experience, while empowering the Hawks’ salespeople with the tools needed to be responsive to their guests. 

“As a renovation of an existing building, we wanted the sales center to be a reflection of our approach to the building – and that’s to use new technologies to create immersive social experiences for our fan,” said Thad Sheely, Atlanta Hawks Chief Operating Officer. “That’s exactly what the Preview is – it feels more like a Disney ride than a sales center and is a true emotional and physical expression of what we strive to create in the reimagined Arena.” 

A further look into the design of the Atlanta Hawks Sales Center experience is available in Hornall Anderson’s case study.