Atlanta Hawks star John Collins showing leadership on and off court
The Atlanta Hawks‘ longest-tenured player, John Collins, got given the bag this offseason. This meant that he needed to produce every time that he hit the court but it also meant that he had to become a leader both on and off the court.
He has done this in a multitude of ways. He has elevated his game on the road where the team has been struggling. This has not resulted in the team winning but this was very rarely the fault of Collins. He worked harder than almost every other player on the team.
In fact, due to Clint Capela not being fully fit to start the season, Collins’ numbers, with the exception of points and blocks per game have all gone up from last season. He has shown a leader’s work ethic and the way that he is playing he is demanding others to step up as well.
The Atlanta Hawks are also benefitting from John Collins off-court leadership as well.
There have been a couple of instances in the past few days which have highlighted how much Collins means to this team and the community as a whole. The first is a simple one where Jalen Johnson checked in for junk time with his shirt untucked.
Collins, ever mindful of what is needed, was calling out to Johnson to tuck his shift in. While the Hawks were whistled with a delay of game warning, it shows that Collins is not just looking at what he needs but what the team needs as well, this is the mark of a leader.
However, the other thing that Collins has announced over the last few days is that he is going to host 800 veterans over 20 home games. Collins is going to provide transportation, tickets, all food and beverages at the game for these veterans. They are also going to get a signature shirt for the John the Baptist collection clothing brand.
Next. The Hawks second-unit backcourt is showing promise. dark
While both of Collins’ parents served in the military, this gesture goes so much deeper than that. It shows that Collins has respect for those who serve the nation who live in the greater Georgia community. It also shows that he was given the bag and while he is looking out for himself, he is also looking out for others as well. Again, this is the mark of a leader.