NBA teams often engage in creative promotional efforts to boost fan engagement, but occasionally, these initiatives can be perceived as too bold. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have distanced themselves from the Atlanta Hawks’ provocative in-season tournament promotional video, slated for the upcoming game against the Detroit Pistons.
The video’s tagline, “Only Hawks Fans know where the real action is,” sparked reactions from Young and Murray, who promptly shared their opinions on the widely circulated content.
The Hawks have kicked off the season with a 4-3 record, benefiting from strong performances by Young and Murray. Young, contributing 21.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 10.4 assists in seven games, maintains shooting percentages of 33.6 from the floor and 27.3 from beyond the arc. On the other hand, Murray is posting 22.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in seven games, with shooting percentages of 50.0 from the floor and 38.5 from deep.
Atlanta is set to face the Orlando Magic on Thursday night, followed by a matchup with the Miami Heat on Saturday, including in-season tournament action. The impact of the promotional video on tournament engagement remains to be seen.
