Hawks 360 Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2

A COMPLETE LOOK INSIDE THE LIFESTYLEOF THE ATLANTA THRASHERS

JOHAN HEDBERG’SDOMICILE

ERIC BOULTON AND THERULES OF ENGAGEMENT

KARI LEHTONEN’S MP3 PLAYLIST

KOVALCHUK

ILYA

17#

ON THE BACKPAGE WITH

2009 SPRING, VOLUME: 01, ISSUE: 02 2009 SPRING, VOLUME: 01, ISSUE: 02

ATLANTATHRASHERS.COM ATLANTATHRASHERS.COM

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9535 Atl Spirit 360 Cvr.indd 4-5 9535 Atl Spirit 360 Cvr.indd 4-54/17/09 10:02:09 AM 4/17/09 10:02:09 AM

1

Randolph the Watchman 03

Horford is a Video Star

Marvin’s MP3

Solo’s Monster Whip 05 Bibby Inked

Zaza on the Red Carpet 07

‘Nique 360 09

Hawks Go Green 11

All-Star Recap

No Ordinary Joe 13

Mario’s Video Game Review

Hawks Playoff Preview 17

Mike Bibby’s Travel Must Haves 19

Hawks Community 21

You and Your Vert 23

The Trout Sandwich

Joe Johnson Q & A 24

15 A-Town DancerProfi le: Leslie

THE MAGAZINECreative Director: Peter SorckoffArt & Design: Matty RyanProduction Manager: Matt MusgroveSenior Editor: Arthur Triche

Editors: Jon Steinberg, Jason RoosePrinting: Tucker-Castleberry, Atlanta, GA

Contributors:

Jennifer Boxley, Kat Goduco, Chattin Hill, Micah Hart, Steve Holman, Greg Miller, Kyle Payne, Bob Rathbun, Chef Bradley RouseHawks game photography by Scott Cunningham

Produced by: Atlanta Spirit, LLC101 Marietta St., NW, Ste. 1900Atlanta, GA 30303

© 2009 Atlanta Spirit, LLC. All rights reserved.

Volume 1 • Issue #2Spring 2009The Cover: Joe JohnsonPhotograph by Greg MillerHAWKS.COM

A COMPLETE LOOK INSIDE TH

LIFESTYLE OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS

THE

Email us your idea, feedback, thoughts and suggestions at [email protected]

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3

“I don’t need much. I pretty much just listen to a few different people at a time, like Young Jeezy, The Game, Ne-Yo. That’s who I’ve got going right now. (Hawks video coordinator John) Beckett always keeps us up to date with new music, he’ll always give us mixes every couple weeks, so that’s how I stay current.”

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I would have to give the movie Watchmen a 3.25 out of 4.

The length was the only drawback so you don’t want to bring a date with you if she is not going to be into the movie. You don’t want to have to stop and explain everything the whole time! The cinematography was good, the storyline was really great and they did a nice job adapting it from the comic. Personally I think it lived up to the hype, great fi ght scenes and lots of action.

Asked if any of the characters in the movie reminded him of any of his Hawks teammates:

The Nite Owl reminded me of Mario West, he was kind of a geek and had a receding hairline too. The Comedian reminded me of Mike Bibby.

Randolph Morris is.

Marvin Williams says,

WHO IS WATCHINGTHE WATCHMEN?

WHAT’S ON YOURMP3 PLAYER?

HORFORD IS AVIDEO STAR

3.25 out of 4

“Ciara and her people got in touch with my agent and asked if I was interested in being in one of her music videos. I’ve always wanted to do something like that, whether it’s R&B, hip-hop or whatever. As soon as my agent brought it up, I was like ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I’ve been listening to her music for awhile, so I was excited about getting the chance to work with her. The shoot was cool – I never realized how hard they work on those things. The day of the shoot I think they were on the set for 22 straight hours, from 6:00 am to 4:00 am the next day. I was only in there for a short period of time – we shot my part in about an hour and a half – but I was impressed by how much effort she puts into it.”


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“This is just a little something we do back home in Florida. I’m a country boy, and this is the kind of ride we like to have back home. It’s a nice ride, kind of lifted up a little bit.

“When I go back home for the summer each year, all my friends have to show their cars or trucks, and it turns into a little competition.

“A truck like this is good in Atlanta because there are a lot of potholes. It keeps me from bending the rims or anything like that.

“My friends may have my truck beat right now, but that is why I’m working on this one. Hopefully I’ll have a little something to show them when I get home this summer.”

5

The tattoo says 1-Z R.I.P. – It’s named after an old friend who used to watch me when I was a baby. He was a ball-boy with the Sixers when my dad played with them. When I was in Vancouver, as a rookie, like 18-20 years later, we called him up, cause we had seen him on an NBA classic video. He still had the same number! We brought him out with us, and it was great to see him again. Then he ended up passing away 3-4 years later, so I got this tattoo to honor him. I wear it on my shoes as well.

Mike Bibby

5

Solomon Jones

WHI

PPED

Photos by Greg Miller.


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© 2008, HOMER TLC, Inc. All rights reserved. The Atlanta Hawks name and logo are registered trademarks of Atlanta Hawks, L.P. © 2008-09 Atlanta Hawks, L.P. All rights reserved.


7

Zaza is probably the biggest fashion maven on the Atlanta Hawks. He keeps up with all the latest trends, grades his fellow NBA players’ fashion sense every month for HOOP magazine, and tries to impart the lessons of his “Euro-style” to those around him.

For this issue, we got him to give us some do’s and don’ts for one of the most critiqued fashion settings — the red carpet.

1. Coordination is key. “When you walk the red carpet, people are going to scrutinize everything you have on,” says Pachulia, who recently attended the opening of the W Hotel in midtown Atlanta and walked the (purple) carpet beforehand. “So it’s important for everything to match. Shoes, watch, suit, everything needs to be in harmony, because mismatched colors will be the fi rst thing others notice.”

2. Dress to fi t the occasion. “If you are going to something fancy like the Oscars or the Grammys, that’s going to be black tie. But other events aren’t necessarily as formal. For the opening of the W Hotel there was a purple carpet, and it was much more of a casual affair. You defi nitely don’t want to show up to a black tie event in jeans, and you don’t want to go to a casual evening wearing a tuxedo.”

3. Debut new threads. “This obviously depends on your budget. But if you can help it, you never want to wear the same thing twice on the red carpet.”

4. Have fun. “This is your chance to showcase your person- ality. If it’s a big event, there will probably be a lot of people snapping photos as you walk the carpet. So you want to make sure to smile and show that you are having a good time. If there is a carpet, then you are probably going to some kind of party — so act like you are enjoying it.”

Fashion

ISTAwith Zaza Pachulia

Pachulia and his wife, Tina, out last month at the opening of Atlanta’s W Hotel.

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© 2007 The Coca-Cola Company. “Sprite,” “Lymon,” the Lymon symbol, “OBEY” and the Sprite trade dress are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.


9

by Steve Holman

It was apparent early in his playing career that Dominique Wilkins would be a great broadcaster some day. I knew it from the fi rst time I interviewed him for the Star of the Game post game show on radio.

I would tell him before we went on the air, that this would be good practice for him when he retired from playing and would move to the broadcast side. The young Dominique would just sit there and laugh, never seeing the day when he would not be playing basketball.

After having the great privilege to broadcast most of his games in a Hawks uniform, here we are in the midst of a great season in 2008-09 and who is broadcasting on television but the Hawks Vice President of Basketball. In the mid-1980’s, he didn’t see the day that he would be closing in on the big 5-0 and I would be closing in on 1,700 consecutive broadcasts of Hawks basketball.

Several years ago, after re-joining the team as Vice President of Basketball, Dominique didn’t like the seat he had for a game in Miami, so he sat with me at the press table. I told him he would have to provide his expert analysis over the air in exchange for the front row seat. He didn’t want to do it, but like I had years earlier, I reminded him that it would be great practice for his upcoming broadcast career. I heard that same laugh I heard 20 something years ago.

It is awesome to have him with us on an everyday basis. We have lots of laughs in the back of the plane going to and from road games. Nique has such great insight into the sport of basketball, it is a pleasure to hear him break down the games we broadcast.

One of my proudest moments came several years ago when I emceed the number retirement ceremony for good old number 21. While that one was very special, there are so many memorable moments with Dominique it’s hard to name them all. The famous moment is arguably game seven at Boston in 1988, although the game fi ve win in that series was the most fun. I was also able to call the game when he became the all-time leading scorer in Hawks history. And sadly I was at the mic for his fi nal game in a Hawks uniform before the most unfortunate trade in team history.

So here we are together again. One would say full circle in our careers. I say not quite. Full circle will be when we stand together to get our championship rings with the team we both have spent most of our lives loving.

As my old friend and Hawks TV announcer John Sterling would say, both as a player and now a broadcaster, “Dominique is Magnifi que!”

Photo by Greg Miller.

‘Nique


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Last spring, Philips Arena began implementing long-term solutions intended to transform the building into a model of energy effi ciency and conservation. The Arena’s inaugural Green Week was held March 22-29, and provided an opportunity to educate fans about what they can do to help the environment, as well as to share what the arena has been doing to “go green” and spotlight our corporate partners’ green initiatives.

Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Randolph Morris and Speedy Claxton joined Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena front offi ce staff, alumni, mascots, dancers and The Home Depot volunteers to participate in a tree planting in Vine City, an area just west of Philips Arena that was hit by the 2008 tornado.

Fans attending games during Green Week were treated to giveaways including The Home Depot environmentally friendly totes and The Home Depot Eco-Options Mystery Cards for use towards the purchase of eco-friendly products.

In-arena, fans learned about Georgia Power’s “cONserve” message and renewable energy certifi cate programs, as well as greening tips for home and offi ce. And in support of Earth Hour on March 28, Philips Arena turned off the lighting on the iconic “ATLANTA” building letters outside Philips Arena from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The Hawks, the Thrashers and Philips Arena continue to look for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and to partner with those who do as well.

The Atlanta Hawks were well represented for the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. Hawks team captain Joe Johnson was named to his 3rd NBA All-Star Game and also participated in the H.O.R.S.E competition. Al Horford showed why he is one of the top young players in the league in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam by scoring 10 points with 8 rebounds in 19 minutes of action for the winning Sopho-more squad. Mike Bibby, who is enjoying a career-best season in three-point shooting, represented the Hawks in the NBA’s Three Point Shootout.

It’s not easy being

GREEN

All-Star Recap

11

February 13th-15th, 2009

Joe Johnson Al Horford Mike Bibby

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We shot the commercial the day President Obama got elected. On election night, we had just fi nished up shooting the spot, and we were all back in the locker room just watching it unfold. It was defi nitely a memorable experience.

It’s cool seeing the commercial on TV. It’s really not something I ever thought I’d see myself doing, getting the chance to be in a national TV commercial, so I get excited every time I see it. It’s defi nitely a dream come true.

Most current NBA players grew up with video games. We thought it made sense to ask Hawks guard Mario West what he thought of 2K Sports NBA franchise.

“Over all I thought that the NBA 2K9 game was pretty strong. Be prepared to spend some time with it though. It’s loaded with options and to get the most out of it you’ll have to learn some multiple button/analog stick moves.”

THE OBAMA SHOE

THE NIKE COMMERCIAL

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

NO ORDINARY JOE

Showing his support for the 44th President of the United States, Joe Johnson had these Player Exclusive Air Jordan Pure Pressure sneakers designed. The shoe was a limited release which didn’t last long on the shelves. Coming in a White/Varsity Red-Midnight Navy color scheme, the Air Jordan Pure Pressure features an all white upper with images of stars and stripes on the mid-sole and accents of Midnight Navy all throughout the sneakers. To commemorate the historic event, the date, 1.20.09, is stitched onto the tongue.

131313131313

Mario West looks at NBA 2K9

+ –POSITIVE• The gameplay in general is excellent and the graphics are so real they are unreal!

• The announcers calling the game and analyzing the action are great. It feels like you are playing in their broadcast. The sound effects and crowd noise are realistic and add a lot to the game play.

NEGATIVE• The controls are tricky. It takes a while to learn the button combina- tions to get to the players signature moves. It’s worth it when you get there though!

• I was surprised to see sponsor ads fl ying by on the screen. I guess we all have to pay the bills!

MARIO’S TIPLike real NBA ball you need to call plays to get your teammates involved. It’s tough scoring on your own and the AI defense adapts quickly if you try the same things over and over again.

OVERALL REVIEWNBA 2K9 is Mario

West approved.

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g yy the same things over and over again.

ERALL REVIEW2K9 is Mario

t approved.


Photo by Greg Miller.

A-TO

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Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama

Birthday: July 5th

College: Auburn

Current Profession: Executive Administrator/Corporate Events Planner; Dancer

Professional Dance Experience: Atlanta Hawks A-Town Dancer (4 years); Competition judge; Dance teacher/choreographer; Citrus Bowl Halftime Show instructor; Stage Dancer for recording artists Take 5, MC Hammer and Latin artist Adassa

Hobbies/Recreation: Running or anything outdoors

Favorite type of music: Hip-Hop, R&B

Favorite vacation destination: Anywhere there’s a beach – Maui and St. John are my favorites.

Favorite Food: Anything Italian and Sushi.

Biggest Pet Peeve: People that take life too seriously.

Best Quality: I notice the good qualities of other people.

Three words that describe you: Easy-going, Friendly, Optimistic

Favorite quote: ”Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.” – Jack Handey

15


ADBuilding a stronger economy through better education.

For Georgia, today really is the day.

A great economy is built on a strong foundation of educated workers. The more there are, the stronger the foundation.And since 1993, over 1 million students have had the opportunity to attend colleges and technical schools

through Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program. Just imagine how much stronger Georgia’s economy has become.

Today could be the day.


17

2009 NBA PLAYOFF PREVIEW by Bob Rathbun

Evans, pressed into start-ing duties with Marvin Williams’ back injury, will be called on to play his usual outstanding defense when the Hawks begin the post-season. Hawks fans may not be aware of how much playoff experience Mo possesses. Over his career, Evans has played in 34 playoff games, starting 10. And if the Hawks need a big three-point fi eld goal, they can call on Mo! In his career, Evans is a 45% three-point shooter in the playoffs!

In 2006, Mo played in the Eastern Conference fi nals as a member of the Detroit Pistons. Detroit ended up losing to Miami in six games, as the Heat went on to the World Championship. Last year, Mo started all 10 of the Orlando Magic’s playoff games, averaging 9 points and shooting .507 from the fi eld.

Murray also has an Eastern Conference fi nals appear-ance on his resume. Flip was with the Pistons in 2007. That Detroit team was eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games. Overall, Flip has played in 29 playoffs games. In 2006, Murray scored 21 at Washington for the Cavaliers.

When the Hawks start the 2009 NBA Playoffs, they will have the luxury of depending on two playoff tested veterans. In Maurice Evans and Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray, Atlanta has two players that will play vital roles in the weeks to come.

The Hawks took two of the fi rst three from Miami this season. Of course, the big challenge will be to try and keep Dwyane Wade under control. He has single-handedly lifted the Heat into the playoffs with an MVP-type season.

The Hawks have home court for a playoff series for the fi rst time in a decade. It’s time again for you, our great fans, to rock Philips Arena like you did last season. The folks at the NBA told us it was arguably the loudest playoff venue of the 16 participating teams. Any Hawks player from last year will tell you that the crowd support was a major factor in the team fi nishing 3-0 at home! To push the Hawks into the second round, that type of atmosphere will be crucial! See you at Philips for a great playoff run!

As the Celtics found out last year, rarely is there an easy series in the playoffs. This year the Hawks will face Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the fi rst-round.

If the Hawks are upset, I’m favoring the Cleveland Cavaliers to represent the East. They have been so dominant at home, it would be hard for either Orlando or Boston to win a Game Sevenat the Q.

The West is wide-open. The Lakers, without Andrew Bynum and a suspect bench, are vulnerable. I’ll go with the Lakers based on Kobe’s brilliance, but just barely.

Then, I’ll go with Cleveland over the Lakers in six. The King will be crowned!

MO EVANS

vs. the Miami Heat

KEY PLAYERS FIRST ROUND MATCH-UP

FLIP MURRAY

FINALS MATCHUP

Bob Rathbun is in his 13th season as the television play-by-play voice for the Hawks. Rathbun calls all of the games on the Hawks’ FS South/SportSouth package.

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19

55 items he can’t travel without: Mike Bibby

My 160 GB iPod Classic

Magazines for the plane and hotel – some of my favorites are XXL, Source and Slam

My headgear;both hats for the trip, and headbands for the games

My wallet, of course

My Blackberry Curve

Over the course of a season the Hawks spend upwards of 100 days on the road. Hawks 360 asked Mike Bibby what fi ve things he can’t travel without?SAY

WHAT?Starting with this issue, Hawks360 will have a photo caption

contest for every issue (based on availability of space). Email

us your best idea entitled: “Photo Caption Contest: Johnson“

at [email protected] by Friday, June 5, 2009.

The top three captions as selected by the editorial staff will

be posted online at HAWKS.com. Spam, obscene, and mali-

cious submissions will be deleted.

Material submitted for the caption contest may appear

in other forms. Hawks360 reserves the right, in its sole

discretion, to cancel or modify the Contest. By submitting

your caption(s) to Hawks360, you agree that such caption(s)

and the accompanying information will become the prop-

erty of Hawks360 and you grant Hawks360 permission

to publicly display and use the captions in any form

or media for any and all purposes. Your

submission also allows Hawks360 to

edit, or adjust the caption for

clarity and language.

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5

HAWKS 360 PHOTO CAPTION CONTEST

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Team Gear is now open during the dayMonday - Saturday from 10am to 5pm • On event days, store is open from 10am to 3pm

Team Gear Store inside

Philips Arena

Get the latest Hawks &

Thrashers merchandise

Buy online atphilipsarenastore.com

For concerts and event listings, visit philipsarena.com For Concert Group Sales call 404-878-FUNN (3866)

For game information, visit hawks.com or atlantathrashers.com For Hawks and Thrashers Group Sales call 1-866-715-1500 Option 4

ENTERTAIN YOUR GROUP AT PHILIPS ARENA Ranked #3 concert and event venue in the United States

by Pollstar Magazine

Reserve a private suite for an intimate affair or a casual hospitality suite for a social gathering!

Party & Hospitality SuitesA private meeting space with both the amenities of a conference room and the thrill of the event!

Nuvox Business Zone

Take part in the show and gain VIP access inside the game!

Fan ExperiencesWeʼve got just the seat and price

level to fit your budget!

Special Group Ticket Offers


21

he Hawks have been almost as busy off the court as they’ve been on the fl oor this spring.

The Atlanta Hawks Full Court Fest in February was one of the hottest events of the year where fans had the chance to go head-to-head with their favorite players and coaches in games including blackjack, poker, ping pong and X-box. The evening also featured an elegant dinner, music, raffl e and silent auction, with all proceeds benefi tting the Hawks Foundation.

The Atlanta Hawks partnered with United Way to host its fi rst Poetry Slam contest this season. High school students put pen to paper to explain what “live united” means to them and the winner performed her poem during halftime of the Hawks special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day game.

In March, the entire Hawks roster joined students at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School in Atlanta for Team Reading Day, a special Read to Achieve event presented by Philips and Sprite. The players visited classrooms to read books and discuss the importance of literacy with the children. The team also celebrated Read to Achieve Day at Philips Arena, including a Reading Timeout in Philips Experience and a free book for the fi rst 500 children, courtesy of Reading Tree.

And in a continuation of the educational theme, the Hawks Foundation presented its ten 2009 high school senior scholarship winners with checks for $2,000 each toward their college tuition.

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Zaza Pachulia (left) and Mo Evans reading to

students at the M. Agnes Jones Elementary School

Atlanta Hawks Poetry Slam

Al Horford (top), Joe Johnson and Josh Smith with guest at the

Hawks Annual Full Court Fest


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How to improve your vertical leaping ability is one of the biggest questions I get asked by people. The fi rst thing you want to work on is improving your lower-body strength, and you can do that in several ways. One is working on multiple-joint movement; leg presses, squats (you want to be careful with squats, they are diffi cult though very effective). Another way is to do single-leg exercises, things like lunges or single-leg presses.

If you can build up a good base doing that, then you can move onto working on what we call “plyometrics” — exercises that promote explosive fast-twitch muscle fi ber in your body. You can do exercises like box jumps, where you try to jump up on a box maybe 24 inches high and try to land softly on your feet. You can start by doing sets of like fi ve, depending on how high the box is.

1 8 oz. fi let of Georgia Mountain Trout1 Yellow tomato slice1 Red tomato slice1 Piece of Red leaf lettuce Remoulade2 Slices of bread (I like to use whole wheat or a hearty white)

¼ cup chopped capers¼ cup chopped gherkins¼ cup chopped cornichons2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Duke’s)½ cup extra strong DijonJuice from 1 lemon1 – dash Louisiana hot sauce¼ cup chopped parsley

One common misconception about trying to improve your vertical is that you have to strengthen your calves. Many people think calves are the catalyst in jumping higher, but that’s not really true. It’s defi nitely a part of it, but just working on your calves won’t make much dif-ference in your abilities.

If you really stick with your training and stay con-sistent with it, you will start to see some results in a month or so, but typically speaking you need three or four months before you really notice a difference. It depends on how much effort you put into it.

How to Improve Your Vert

Trout Sandwich

by Hawks Strength & Conditioning Coach Chattin Hill

Sandwich

Remoulade

Chef Bradley Rouse keeps the Hawks well fed

while monitoring their nutrition. In this edition

of Hawks 360 he shares his one-of-a-kind Trout Sandwich!

Season fi sh with salt and pepper, and season griddle with olive oil blend. Cook the trout on a hot griddle skin side down. Cook until the fi sh is almost completely cooked through before fl ipping. (This will ensure a nice crispy skin, and to me that’s what makes the sandwich!) . Continue cooking trout after you fl ip it for 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of the fi let. Brush the bread with a olive oil blend and place it on a griddle, while it is cooking. Toast one side of the bread and then spread a generous portion of the remoulade on the non-toasted side of both slices. Add tomato and lettuce (always season the tomato with salt and pepper) to one of the slices of the bread. Your trout is now done, cut it, in half so you can place it properly on the bread. Assemble it with the tomato side of the sandwich. Slice and serve.

Simply combine all ingredients. Let sit overnight.

“One day I suggested the trout sandwich to Joe. Also being from the South, I had a feeling he would like it. I told him that I would have his usual chicken sandwich ready and on stand-by, just in case. The chicken sandwich did not get eaten that day, and I think I have only made Joe one chicken sandwich since! Marvin, who is a huge seafood lover, was also an instant taker to the sandwich. Word got out around the locker room and soon everyone was eating it, some customized it, some not. Josh prefers it skinless, Acie without sauce. Whatever the case I go through about fi ve pounds of trout a day!

“I am excited the guys like it so much. I get to use local products and keep menus around with items that I enjoy eating as well.”

Photo by Matty Ryan.

PRESENTED BY

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rve.

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Q A&with

Height: 6’-7” Weight: 240 lbs.7 year NBA veteran4th season with HawksCollege: Arkansas RazorbacksThree-Peat: Three time NBA All-Star VI

TALS

Joe Johnson photo by Greg Miller. Other photos courtesy of Getty Images and Scott Cunnigham.24

Q: How rewarding is it to have this kind

of success compared to your fi rst year

here in 2005-2006?

Q: The biggest reason this team is so successful

is the way it has protected the home court.

How much of an advantage do you guys have

when you play in Philips Arena?

Q: Since you have been here you have seen

guys like Josh Smith and Marvin Williams

grow up a lot, how would you describe that

transformation?

Q: How important have the additions of vets

like Mike Bibby, Flip Murray and Mo Evans

helped this team?

Q: You are the unquestioned leader of the team

at 27 years old. When do you know that you

have transitioned from a young guy to a

veteran leader in this league?

Q: Who helped you ease into the role of being

a leader?

A: It has been great. This is the fi rst year that we have had a winning season since I have been here. The start of the season was big getting off to a 6-0 start that set the tone for the year. We have dealt with our share of adversity with injuries and sickness to have a very successful season.

A: We have a huge advantage because we have one of the best home crowds in the whole league. As a player, you want to show the fans how much you appreciate their support, and the best way to do that is to play hard and to win. We have taken care of business at home, with a big assist from the fans, and we have a lot of confi dence every time we play in Philips Arena.

A: It is like night and day. I have watched everybody grow each year. I have grown each year. It has been amazing to look at where we came from to where we are now, and it makes it all worth while.

A: It has helped tremendously. You need veteran leadership, especially in the playoffs. Adding these guys has been great for us since day one. Thew know how to step up night-in and night-out, and show the young guys how to be a pro in this league.

A: I don’t know, it just kind of happens. For me, the more comfortable I get the better leader I become. Every year has gotten easier and better since coming here in 2005.

A: I talked to Steve Nash and Jimmy Jackson a lot, guys I had played with and looked up to in Phoenix, especially in my fi rst year here in Atlanta. They helped me and listened to me, and made it easier for me to under- stand the responsibility that I had here.


Hawks 360 Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2

Documents

Transcript of Hawks 360 Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2