Martin Luther King Day in Atlanta, Georgia, is always special. The city takes great pride in its history with the Civil Rights icon. The importance of that relationship is never lost on the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks always find the perfect balance of honoring Dr. King's legacy and putting on a show for the basketball world. This year, the game will have an added layer of excitement. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Hawks will host the Miami Heat on January 16, 2023.
The nationally-televised game will pit two Southeast Division rivals against each other. Between the regular season and playoffs, the Heat beat the Hawks in seven of the nine games they faced each other last year.
It could be argued that the embarrassing 5-game playoff series is what prompted a significant overhaul of the Hawks roster this offseason. The Heat played an ultra-physical brand of basketball which drew accusations of bullying . All-NBA point guard Trae Young averaged 15.4 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6.2 turnovers per game in the short series.
Following the season, Atlanta's front office promised change and delivered. They traded for All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, parted ways with several role players, and completely reshaped the bench.
Over the past several days, the NBA has slowly leaked notable games for the 2022-23 season. However, this matchup is the first announcement involving the Hawks. All we know right now is the Hawks will not play on Christmas Day and will host a game on Martin Luther King Day.
The good news for Hawks fans is the regular season schedule is expected to release tomorrow. We will have plenty to unpack soon. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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