Malcolm Brogdon says Hawks fans ‘haven’t been the most dedicated’

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Malcolm Brogdon: Hawks fans ‘haven’t been the most dedicated’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

This weekend will be a homecoming for Malcolm Brogdon — to a certain extent.

Brogdon grew up in Atlanta, so he’ll be facing his hometown team in Games 3 and 4 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round playoff series against the Hawks on Friday and Sunday night.

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But it’s not like the veteran guard grew up a die-hard Hawks fan and made regular appearances at Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena). In fact, Brogdon suggested the Hawks aren’t particularly well-supported overall, even in his hometown of Atlanta.

“For me, I’m tied to the city,” Brogdon told reporters Friday at Boston’s shootaround before Game 3. “I love Atlanta. This is home, this will always be home. I’ll always have some type of house or tie-in here.

“But as far as the franchise, no. Historically these fans haven’t been the most dedicated, and that’s myself included coming up. I was always an NBA fan, but not Hawks specifically.”

That might seem like a dig at Hawks fans, but Brogdon would know the Atlanta fan landscape as a native of the city. The numbers back up Brogdon’s assertion, too: Atlanta usually ranks among the bottom 10 NBA teams in average attendance and only recently snuck into the top 20 after the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.

The Hawks have a relatively strong basketball history, from the Dominique Wilkins-led teams of the 1980s to the Al Horford- and Joe Johnson-led squads of the mid-2010s. But football is king in Atlanta and the state of Georgia more broadly, both at the professional and college level, where the Georgia Bulldogs are wildly popular.

If Hawks fans are looking for motivation with Atlanta trailing 2-0 in this series, perhaps they’ll find some in Brogdon’s comments. It’s hard to see a hostile environment slowing down this talented Celtics team, however.

NBC Sports Boston’s coverage of Celtics-Hawks Game 3 begins Friday at 6 p.m. ET with “Celtics Pregame Live” ahead of tip-off at 7 p.m.

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Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2023-04-21 20:45:00

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