The Atlanta Hawks are gearing up for what is a big season in the franchise’s recent history. The Hawks surprised basically everybody in 2021 when they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals but came crashing back down to earth when they were eliminated in the first round by the Miami Heat in this past postseason.
That led to the front office deciding it was time to make a big splash, as they traded for All-Star Dejounte Murray to form an exceptional backcourt with Trae Young. The Hawks also had their media day recently, where Young stated that he believes they can win a championship and that he doesn’t care what anybody else thinks of them. There was also a hilarious moment when a reporter asked Trae if he had put on some weight, and the Hawks players also chose the occasion to troll Joel Embiid.
The Atlanta Hawks Trolled Joel Embiid
During their run to the Conference Finals last year, the Hawks stunned the top-seeded 76ers in the Semifinals in 7 games, and one of the biggest highlights during that series was Collins posterizing Embiid in Game 6. He trolled the Sixers star back then by wearing a shirt of him dunking over Embiid, and his teammates went a step further on media day. Collins’ birthday was on the 23rd of September, so the team threw a birthday party for him, and while it seemed quite wholesome, the cake they presented him with was of him dunking over Embiid.
Threw our guy @jcollins20_ a birthday party at Media Day 🥳 pic.twitter.com/LcM8ZO404z
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) September 24, 2022
That is hilarious right there, but we doubt Embiid found it to be too funny if has come across it. There is clearly some tension between these two, as Embiid had also liked a tweet earlier this offseason that displayed Collins’ struggles at the Drew League. We can’t wait to see these two go to battle, and they’ll be facing off twice in three days in November, so grab your popcorn then.
There is a good chance these sides meet in the playoffs as well, as the Sixers boast perhaps their best roster of the Embiid era while the Hawks have managed to pair Young with an All-Star to ensure that defenses can’t zone in on him as the Heat did. The Hawks have their fair share of doubters, however, and it will be up to Young, Murray, and Collins to ensure that they have a successful campaign.
