ATLANTA — Malcolm Brogdon is from Atlanta. He loves Atlanta. Even in his seventh NBA season and with his third different team, it’s still home. He gives back to the community whenever he can, like in 2020 when he and fellow native Jaylen Brown led a protest against racial injustice. Brogdon wears pride for his city like no other.
So, Brogdon could have never expected what happened when he entered Game 3 on Friday night at State Farm Arena, his first career playoff game in Atlanta. The veteran guard usually feels the love whenever he returns home. But this time, the reception was quite the opposite.
Brogdon heard boos. Whenever he touched the ball, they were loud. His city was against him, but not because he was simply an opponent.
It wasn’t hard to figure out why. Earlier on Friday morning, Brogdon made a comment during Celtics shootaround that was perceived as a slight against the Hawks’ fanbase when he asked if he had ties to the franchise growing up.
“I’m tied to the city. I love Atlanta,” Brogdon said on Friday. “This is home, this will always be home. I will always have some type of house or tie in here. But as far as the franchise, no. I mean, historically, these fans haven’t been the most dedicated. And that’s myself included, coming up. I was always an NBA fan, but not Hawks specifically.”
That comment about Hawks fans not being the most dedicated spread like wildfire on social media and caught the attention of his home city’s fanbase. When he checked into Friday’s game in the first quarter, the boos were relentless. There were some chants, too.
Brogdon heard them. On Saturday, he aimed to set the record straight in an interview with The Athletic, saying he felt his comment was misconstrued and emphasized how much he loves the city and how much he wants it to embrace him. He didn’t want to be viewed as a villain in his hometown.
Brogdon doubled down during Sunday morning’s shootaround ahead of Game 4.
“I just wanted to show them that I love this city,” Brogdon said. “At the end of the day I love the people, love the fans here. This is home for me. They’ve always embraced me. I want them to continue to do that, because I’m going to continue to rep this city, love this city, do good work in this city no matter what. Like I said in the article, my love here is undying. So, I love this place.”
“It definitely hurts,” Brogdon added of the reception. “I think it’s part of the game. I think there are going to be times when stuff like that happens. You get booed. But when I’m at home I want to be embraced, I want to be loved. I was born and raised here. This city raised me, and I love this city back. So, it’s all love.”
To his credit, the booing didn’t affect Brogdon’s play. He hit the first shot he took, a step-back 3-pointer. The newly minted Sixth Man of the Year finished with 17 points and five assists.
But he understood where the reaction was coming from. Brogdon may not have been a Hawks fan as a kid, but he remembers going to playoff games in Atlanta, when his current teammate Al Horford was starring for the Hawks. The franchise’s fanbase hasn’t had the greatest reputation, but he knows they show up for the playoffs.
“I knew where it was coming from. And I get it,” Brogdon said. “This is an emotional game, especially at this level. They’ve got a good team that they’re behind and the fanbase here has grown. The playoffs, I remember when Al Horford was here, I remember growing up and watching them. People came out to those games. The playoffs here are always pretty lit and exciting. But it’s all love from me.”
Damon Stoudamire spent less than two seasons as an assistant coach with the Celtics, but he clearly made a long-lasting impact on his former coaching staff and players before he left midseason to become the head coach at Georgia Tech. This weekend in Atlanta – home to Georgia Tech – Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he had a chance to catch up with Stoudamire at the Celtics’ hotel.
Celtics players – including Brogdon and Jayson Tatum – have stayed connected with Stoudamire since he left in March. They appreciate the knowledge and perspective he imparted on them in such a short period of time.
“We actually spoke on the phone a few weeks after he got the job,” Brogdon said. “Damon was a great pro in this league for a long time and a point guard/combo guard that did very similar things to what I do. So just having his feel, having his words on a day-to-day basis, he’s a player’s coach. He understood what it took to play in this league and thrive in this league, so I really enjoyed being coached by him.”
Added Tatum: “Just getting the perspective of somebody that played in the league for a very long time. And just having somebody like that on the bench that knows the ins and outs of the everyday of being in the NBA. So I think there was a lot of advantage having a coach on staff that played.”
Marcus Smart, who suffered a lower back contusion after taking a hard fall late in Game 3, was deemed “good to go” for Game 4 on Sunday night.