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ATLANTA – Today the Atlanta Hawks and Audacy, a scaled, multi-platform audio content and entertainment company with the country’s best radio broadcasting group, announced that popular talent from two of Audacy’s Atlanta stations will have expanded roles at Hawks games at State Farm Arena during the 2021-22 season. Tenitra Batiste of SportsRadio 92-9 The Game and host of the Fill in Da Blanks podcast is being added to the in-arena show as in-game Sports Analyst and Darian “Big Tigger” Morgan of V-103 The People’s Station’s “The Big Tigger Morning Show” will take over as the Public Address Announcer and Host.

“We are excited to continue growing our partnership with Audacy both on-air and in-arena. They have been a tremendous partner for eight years, finding ways to grow their audience and reach throughout Atlanta. Tenitra and Big Tigger will add new elements and talents to our in-arena show,” said Hawks &amp; State Farm Arena Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Saltzman.

The multi-talented Batiste has served as a sports anchor, reporter and host in her time with SportsRadio 92-9 The Game. Along with Jarvis Davis, she hosts the Fill in Da Blanks podcast. The Xavier alum has on-air experience at Spectrum Sports Florida, WXIA-11Alive, American Urban Radio Networks and Score Atlanta among others.

“This is a great opportunity to have our talent have a more visible presence at State Farm Arena during Hawks games,” said Audacy Atlanta Senior Vice President and Market Manager Rick Caffey. “Our partnership has been a key part of our success in Atlanta, and we are thrilled to be expanding during this exciting time for the franchise.”

Affectionately known as “Big Tigger”, Darian Morgan is one of the most versatile and well-known broadcast personalities in the nation. Tigger served as the host of the longest running, nationally televised hip-hop show, BET’s “Rap City: Tha Bassment” and the hit show “106 &amp; Park” and has been a go-to-host for BET Network specials, hosting BET Awards post party live events as well as red carpet shows. An Emmy award winner in 2013 for his “Direct Access with Big Tigger” program, Tigger has been a regular on TV appearing on shows such as Oxygen’s “Like A Boss”, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”, “Love &amp; Hip Hop Atlanta” as well as the “Xscape Still Kickin It”, “T.I. &amp; Tiny: The Family Hustle”, “Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta”, and “K. Michelle: My Life.”

Since July 2013, SportsRadio 92-9 The Game has served as the official flagship of the Atlanta Hawks, broadcasting all NBA regular season and postseason basketball games, pregame and postgame broadcasts and dedicated Hawks programming. On March 30, Entercom Communications transitioned its brand name to Audacy.

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Hawks & Audacy Expand Partnership With Integration of Popular Talent For 21-22 Season

ATLANTA – Today, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, announced that Game 4 of the Atlanta Hawks’ first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks earned TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) certification. This delegation marks the first time a sporting event in the world has received TRUE for events. The game, which was sold out with 16,458 fans in attendance, took place on Sunday, May 30.

In order to become TRUE certified, an event must meet requirements from GBCI. These requirements include having a zero waste policy in place, having achieved an average of 90 percent or greater overall diversion from landfill, incineration (waste-to-energy) and the environment for solid, non-hazardous wastes. The event must reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and/or recover for productive use in nature or the economy, and meet all federal, state/provincial, and local solid waste and recycling laws and regulations. In addition, the project complies with all air, water and land discharge permits required for collection, handling or processing of materials and meets or exceeds through data documenting of waste diversion efforts and measurements.

“As we continue our journey in making State Farm Arena a zero-waste venue, we are grateful for our staff and fans who all worked together to earn this certification from GBCI,” said Sofi Armenakian, Director of Sustainability and Operations for the Hawks and State Farm Arena. “We recognize how important it is for sports to create change and know this is just another way how a sports venue can contribute positively and act sustainably in their community.”

In this endeavor, the Hawks were assisted by various organizations such as the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), which aids in creating various recycling solutions for the city of Atlanta. CompostNow who provides commercial composting solutions- CompostNow enables us to compost all of our compostable service ware, cutlery and packaging. In addition, the venue activated 15 volunteers, teachers from Jonesboro Middle School, who joined for the event as zero waste volunteers. In their roles, they aided guests at the venue in the process of properly sorting to reduce contamination. Additionally, Levy Restaurants, the official food and beverage partner of the Hawks and State Farm Arena, helped in the supply chain process. Pritchard Sports &amp; Entertainment, the team’s official housekeeping partner, also assisted operationally with the collection and sorting of all materials.

“We all want the world to be a cleaner and healthier place for future generations, and we can’t accomplish this without bringing a critical focus to waste reduction and elimination efforts. TRUE seeks to instill a more circular economy and enable businesses and organizations to address these issues head on by defining, pursuing and achieving zero waste goals for their facilities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO, USGBC and GBCI. “Reducing the negative impacts of waste on people and the environment will require organizations of all kinds to step up and demonstrate leadership by prioritizing policies, operations and actions that dramatically reduce waste and limit resource extraction and use upstream. The Hawks and State Farm Arena’s dedication to pursuing TRUE for Events certification is truly moving us closer to becoming a zero-waste community that’s healthier for us all.”

In February 2021, Hawks and State Farm Arena successfully diverted 97 percent of fan-generated waste during the 2021 NBA All-Star Game with the help of Rubicon, a software platform that provides waste, recycling and smart city solutions to businesses and governments worldwide.

In June 2019, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced State Farm Arena, has received the LEED Gold certification. At the time, USGBC and GBCI President and CEO Mahesh Ramanujam presented Hawks and State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin with the designation plaque during the Greenbuild Atlanta Cultivation event at the venue.

To learn more about State Farm Arena’s Sustainability efforts, visit StateFarmArena.com/Sustainability. To purchase tickets for an upcoming event at State Farm Arena, visit StateFarmArena.com.

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Hawks' Playoff Game On Sunday, May 30 At State Farm Arena Recognized As First True Certified Sporting Event In The World

ATLANTA – The Hawks announced their nomination of Coach Jason Joines of BlazeSports America (Norcross, Ga.) as the club’s 2021 Atlanta market Jr. NBA Coach of the Year during halftime of Thursday’s game vs. Orlando. During a special pregame recognition, the Hawks also recognized Jamie Gladney of Henry County Hurricanes Wheelchair Basketball (McDonough, Ga.) as their 2020 Atlanta market nomination.

Each year the Hawks, along with participating NBA and WNBA teams, nominate a Jr. NBA Coach of the Year, who isaking a positive impact on children by demonstrating outstanding integrity, character and leadership. From the grassroots level to the professional level, the positive impact that a coach can have on an athlete is invaluable. A coach’s role extends beyond wins and losses to teaching life lessons and developing young people into healthy, confident and respectful adults through the medium of sport.

“We are thrilled to recognize Coach Joines for the meaningful impact he is making in our community through the sport of basketball,” said Hawks’ Vice President of Basketball Development Jon Babul. “His leadership, passion for coaching and positive spirit inspires his players to strive to achieve their full potential on and off the court.”

Joines has been the coach of BlazeSports America’s varsity wheelchair basketball teams for eight years. During his tenure, the team had two second-place finishes at the NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) Junior National Tournament. Joines was chosen based on the positive impact that he has made on the lives of all his players both on and off the court by demonstrating outstanding integrity, character and leadership. Joines’ on-court success has led to numerous athletes advancing to play collegiately and succeed in life beyond the sport of basketball.

Before the game, the Hawks also recognized Jamie Gladney of the Henry County Hurricanes Wheelchair Basketball team. Gladney has been the head coach of the Henry County Hurricanes Wheelchair Basketball for five years, which is highlighted by winning the 2018 GHSA (Georgia High School Association) AAASP (American Association of Adaptive Sports Programs) State Championship.

“We were unable to host Coach Gladney at a game last season due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, so to honor him tonight in front of our fans was special,” said Director of the Hawks Basketball Academy Chris Jacobs. “Gladney’s a championship coach committed to teaching his players skills for life. He is a “game changer” in the community.”

Each participating NBA, WNBA and G League team nominates a local coach, who is automatically entered into the national Coach of the Year selection process. The Jr. NBA and Positive Coaching Alliance conduct a screening process to narrow the pool of nominees to eight (8) national semifinalists. From the round of eight, an executive panel of judges, an interview, and a public fan vote via social media determine the top three finalists and the national Jr. NBA Coach of the Year winner. The top three finalists are each awarded with a financial grant to support their local youth basketball organizations.

To read more about the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year Award, visit jr.nba.com/coachoftheyear

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Hawks Nominate Jason Joines Of BlazeSports America For 2021 Jr. NBA Coach Of The Year

ATLANTA – On Monday, for a fifth consecutive season, the Atlanta Hawks and Crown Royal joined together to honor active and retired military personnel and their guests at the club’s annual ‘Crowning Courage’ event. Earlier in the day, and as an expression of gratitude for their service, the Hawks put together a premium experience for active duty and retired military personnel to enjoy the team’s game against the Washington Wizards.                                    

“While this year’s event was a bit different due to COVID-19, the Atlanta Hawks and Crown Royal remain forever grateful to the heroes of this country,” said Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. “We know that this event is just one way that we can say ‘thank you’ for the sacrifices made by these courageous men and women.”

As part of the experience, military personnel participated in a pregame virtual fan tunnel. Throughout various moments in the game, active duty personnel were displayed in a special Wall of Gratitude on the TV visible LED Spectacular board behind the player benches. In addition, veterans from United Military Care were provided two suites to enjoy the experience. United Military Care provides Georgia’s veterans with food, shelter and hope and continues to impact the community by working with any veteran, regardless of age.

Throughout the game, various videos highlighting two veterans and one active duty military member aired on the centerhung at State Farm Arena. These vignettes, featuring the Director of Women Veterans, Georgia Department of Veterans Service Veda Brooks, hip-hop artist and influencer K Shiday, and Josh Merry, active in the United States Army and long-time Hawks fan who is currently stationed in Kuwait. During the filming of Merry’s video, Hawks forward John Collins, whose mother and uncle served in the United States Air Force, surprised him. Atlanta Hawks Principal Owner Jami Gertz also provided a pregame speech welcoming all of the military in attendance.

“Generosity is at the heart of everything Crown Royal strives to do and there is no one more generous than our military heroes,” said Nicky Heckles, Vice President of Crown Royal. “We are thrilled to continue this partnership for the fifth year with the Atlanta Hawks to celebrate and honor active and retired military personnel.”

At halftime of the game, one woman from every military branch was recognized. In addition, Technical Sergeant Russell Fawcett, a WWII veteran was in attendance at the game and received a custom jersey with his name on the back. Additionally, he was gifted tickets to enjoy the game with courtside seats. To round out the experience, the Lady Hawks surprised a group of women veterans in attendance with custom baskets filled with Georgia crafted gifts, Hawks gear and gift cards as an expression of gratitude for their service on behalf of Crown Royal. 

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Hawks And Crown Royal Honor Military Personnel During Fifth Annual ‘Crowning Courage’ Event

Guard/Forward Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) has progressed his rehabilitation activities to include spot shooting and will be introduced to straight line running later this week. An update will be provided in two weeks.

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Atlanta Hawks Injury Update

As the early March NBA All-Star break approached, the Atlanta Hawks sat at 14-20 as at the bottom of the play-in picture, a far cry from where expectations had been set in the offseason after some big spending in free agency. Injuries played a significant role in the Hawks early struggles, as they were without many of those big signings, with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, and Kris Dunn all missing significant time (and Dunn having yet to make his debut), as well as some of their young core pieces, most notably De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish. All of that, coupled with being one of the league’s worst fourth quarter teams, spelled disaster and eventually led to Nate McMillan being elevated to interim head coach.

Click here for more from Robby Kalland of UPRoxx.

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How The Atlanta Hawks Became The East’s Hottest Team

ATLANTA – It was announced today that the Atlanta Hawks &amp; State Farm Arena and The Clorox Company, a global leader in public health and disinfection, have agreed on a multiyear contract to make Clorox the team’s official cleaning and disinfecting product partner. This new multiyear partnership will help bolster the award-winning venue’s already extensive cleaning strategies and COVID-related protocols and will emphasize the use of the Clorox product disinfection line on hard non-porous surfaces throughout, as well as the importance of health and wellness for everyone who enters State Farm Arena. A custom content series and in-arena signage round out the collaboration. 

A very important part of this partnership is that Clorox will become the sponsor of in-venue cleaning crew named the “State Farm Arena Clean Team”.  The cleaning crew will be tasked with disinfecting the venue before, during and after events, wiping down high touch areas around the venue.

“With our primary concern being the health and safety of everyone that enters State Farm Arena, we are thrilled to partner with Clorox to use their industry-leading products,” Hawks and State Farm Arena Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Saltzman said. “Clorox products will be a crucial part of our on-going efforts to help create a safer experience for our players, guests, and employees.”

In addition to that, Clorox will be the presenting partner of a new digital content series on Thursday called “Clutch Plays in Hawks History.” On Thursdays, fans are welcome to tune into the Atlanta Hawks’ digital media channels to take a trip down memory lane and celebrate clutch moments in the franchise both on and off the court.

 “We’re proud to be extending our commitment to clean outside the home in partnership with the Hawks and State Farm Arena,” said Heath Rigsby, vice president of Out-of-Home at The Clorox Company. “Getting fans back to much-loved activities like sporting events is an important part of our recovery and we’re happy we can do our part in instilling confidence in fans, players and staff.”

Last month, Clorox and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced a multiyear agreement that allowed for ongoing collaboration with Clorox in promoting health and safety during NBA and WNBA games and events, including the 2021 NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on March 7, where the cleaning brand supplied disinfecting products.

The Atlanta Hawks &amp; State Farm Arena continue to lead the way in innovation concerning health and safety procedures for sports and live event venues. Earlier this year, the venue introduced its “Safety Six” protocols to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, developed with input from industry experts in healthcare, live events, hospitality, and food service, including Sharecare and Emory Healthcare. State Farm Arena was also the first facility to receive the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ designation, an extensive certification system with 140+ expert-validated standards which establish a consistent global baseline for health security. 

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Clorox To Become The Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena's Official Cleaning And Disinfecting Product Partner With New Multiyear Agreement

ATLANTA – Atlanta Hawks Interim Head Coach Nate McMillan was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for March, it was announced today by the NBA.

McMillan, who was named interim head coach on March 1, led the Hawks to an 8-0 start to begin the month and became the first NBA coach to win his opening eight games after taking over in-season since 2003-04. The eight-game stretch of wins was Atlanta’s longest streak since the club won 19 straight from 12/27/14-1/31/15. The Hawks won five consecutive road games during the streak, their longest run of visiting victories since taking five in a row from 1/4/17-1/16/17.

Atlanta’s defense allowed the East’s two lowest single-game scores of the month, limiting Miami to 80 points on March 2 and holding Cleveland to 82 points on March 14. Overall, Atlanta allowed the NBA’s second-fewest points per game in March (105.7) and the East’s third-lowest FG% (.450). The Hawks posted the conference’s second-best point differential (+5.0) and the third-highest FG% differential (+.027).

From March 13-18, the Hawks won four straight games by 12-or-more points, Atlanta’s longest streak of 12-point victories since winning four in a row from 12/5/14-12/10/14. The Hawks finished March with a 9-4 record, good for a .692 winning percentage, Atlanta’s best monthly mark (min. five games played) since earning a .733 winning percentage in January 2017.

This is the eighth time a Hawks coach has received a Coach of the Month honor and the first time since January 2015. This marks the seventh time McMillan has won Conference Coach of the Month during his career.

Phoenix Suns Head Coach Monty Williams, an assistant coach on McMillan’s staff in Portland from 2005-10, was named NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month.