To build excitement for the inaugural In-Season Tournament, the NBA and its teams are exploring creative avenues. The Atlanta Hawks, however, took an unexpected and unorthodox approach that left online fans stunned. On Thursday, the team released a video on social media, drawing inspiration from the adult content platform OnlyFans, to promote their In-Season Tournament games.
The video features the team’s mascot, Harry the Hawk, engaging in questionable activities in a bed, accompanied by a seductive narrator claiming that only true Hawks fans understand that the “real” action is to be found at the tournament games.
In addition to the eyebrow-raising video, the team included a link for fans to purchase tickets for the upcoming in-season tournament games, with the first match scheduled against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 17.
Social media users, including some Hawks players, had a strong reaction to the video. Trae Young, one of the team’s star players, distanced himself from the unconventional promotional campaign, stating on Twitter, “I had no part of this,” while retweeting the video.
As the In-Season Tournament has commenced for several teams across the league, fans are still adjusting to the new concept. The question remains whether the Hawks’ bold and creative approach, led by Harry the Hawk, will succeed in generating additional interest among fans in Atlanta.
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