Atlanta – The New Basketball City
Whether you are a true Atlien, a transplant or a kid in the suburbs, who lives 30 minutes outside of the city, but calls “Atlanta” home, there is no arguing that the “A” has undergone a major transformation in the last 20 years. The origin of this transformation can most likely be traced back to the 1996 Olympic Games, and the exposure that brought to the city. Atlanta is now the base for multiple-Fortune 500 & 1000 companies’, the movie industry has been booming in recent years, and the nightlife is one-of-a-kind, fueled by a larger-than-life Hip-Hop/Rap scene.
Many athletes across all five major leagues call Atlanta their home in the off-season. Atlanta has always been a popular place for athletes, especially during their time off.
Much to the chagrin of fans, it appears everything not regarding basketball, was what attracted non-Atlantean’s: from the popular music scene to the well-known gentlemen’s clubs around the city. The party life has, and always will be, a main attraction. The real question is if that type of distraction has also been one of its biggest deterrents?
Maybe top-level talent in the past viewed the city as having too much temptation, too many distractions? Not a place where one can fully focus on basketball. The obvious argument to that is to look at players in bigger markets: the LA’s, the New York’s, the Miami’s, there are plenty of distractions there as well! Yet, it is hard to explain: the energy, the aura, the atmosphere. It is just different down here.
Maybe top-level talent viewed Atlanta as more of a “vacation city” and did not want to live here full-time? Since many players do call Atlanta home, maybe they view THIS home, in THIS city, as an escape from the daily pressures and rigors of an NBA season. Lord only knows as to what the real reason is or was, but these are things to only speculate. The Southern City is a haven for NBA athletes, but how come this has never translated to acquiring talent on the court?
The fanbase must admit that mediocrity and the Hawks pair together like fine wine and cheese, and that has sadly been the case for the last two decades. The Hawks simply were not an attractive free agent destination. The 2007-08 Atlanta Hawks, led by “fan favorite*(see comment at end),” Joe Johnson, was the first Hawks team to reach the playoffs since the 1998-99 season. The eighth-seeded Hawks team was ousted in the first round, after a highly-competitive seven-game series, versus the eventual-NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Instead of building on that success, this started a run of mediocrity for Atlanta. They were never bad enough to acquire a game-changer with a high draft pick, but never good enough to win the whole enchilada. The 10-year playoff streak, which took place from 2007-17, was marred by early-playoff exits, a clear lack of talent compared to the rest of the Eastern Conference, and three different head coaching tenures (Mike Woodson, Larry Drew, & Mike Budenholzer, respectively). The crown jewel of this era was a 60-win season and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. What happened next, is what all sports teams should do if they are caught in the whirlwind of mediocrity: tear it all down and build it again from the bottom.
The Hawks brought in a new front office, a new head coach (who has since been replaced by Head Coach, Nate McMillan), and let veteran Hawks players walk in free agency. Instead of mediocrity, the Hawks clicked the eject button and were right back at the bottom of the league…with a top draft pick in hand.
Ironically, hitting rock bottom is what propelled the Hawks to make strides toward making Atlanta an attractive destination. They remodeled the arena from Phillip’s to State Farm Arena and added a top-notch training facility. They changed their look…twice (no need to bring up the ugly neon-gradient-computer-generated-jerseys). They were also involved in what might be the Draft-night trade of the century, when the Hawks traded forward, Luka Doncic, for guard Trae Young. The selection of Young is what may have set up the foundation for this city for many years to come.
As everyone knows, the Hawks become sort of the darling, or villain, depending on where your fandom lies, in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The team, led by their superstar point guard, had some sort of coming-out party. There are a couple ways to go about this, and why this last playoff run alone, can make Atlanta a future NBA hotspot:
- Ice Trae is fun to play with. No matter what level of basketball you may have reached in your career/life, it is a fact that any players would love to play with an elite-passer, which Young is. Players now may look at Atlanta and think twice before hanging up. Young is a superstar to come play with and someone that can set them up for easy buckets!
- The front office is finally competent. This regime should be graded at an A+. They have built a contender from the ground up and have made nothing but solid moves for the franchise since taking over. These next couple months, and years, can really show players and teams across the league on how the Hawks handle their business. If the Hawks do not botch the multiple re-signing’s of their young talent and show that they take care of their players, this could go a long way (i.e. John Collins contract this offseason and the eventual contracts of Young, Kevin Huerter, DeAndre Hunter & Cam Reddish).
- The NBA is composed mostly of African-American/black athletes, rounding to about 72 percent of the league population. Atlanta is a city that has deep ties to Black history (albeit, good and bad), but has become a face, if not THE face, for Black culture in many aspects. Per capita, Atlanta is currently ranked second in the United States for “black-owned businesses with paid employees” (per AJC’s Eric Sturgis). Also, toss in the history and potential partnerships with Historically Black Colleges & Universities. There are many opportunities to help the community and the movement in the city. Atlanta has always been home for civil rights activists and birth places of movements. With athletes becoming more socially conscious, Atlanta would be a great place to consider.
With the upward trajectory of the Atlanta Hawks, the sky seems the limit coming off the incredible playoff run. Travis Schlenk, Trae Young and company, will look to keep building the brand with on-court success. In due time, this will erase the narrative for Atlanta as a lackluster destination to hopefully a top-tier destination.
**A little rant on Joe Johnson…. At one point he was the highest-paid player in the league, and his signature isolation game earned him the moniker of, Iso Joe. His demeanor was always tough, and he was always so clutch. One of the best Hawks sports memories of all-time, was when he crossed up Leon Powe in the playoffs, and hit a clutch shot, on the way to beating the number one-seeded Boston Celtics.
It sucked when he left and it was a serious bummer, especially because people wanted him out. He was still a very productive player in Brooklyn. Even earned himself another nickname, Joe Jesus! Nevertheless, watching him and J-Smoove (Josh Smith), ball out in the BIG3 is dope and brings back some serious nostalgia! JJ had a lot of haters back in the day, but he was always a steady performer and a true All-Star to the game. Shoot, maybe the Hawks should toss him a 10-day! He is in great shape!
Shout-out to ISO JOE! He helped build this.
