Trae Young calls out NBA over glaring miss on Hawks' schedule

The Atlanta Hawks will open the 2024-25 regular season at home versus the Brooklyn Nets on October 23. 

However, they will notably not be at home in Atlanta on MLK Day on January 20, 2025. Instead, the Hawks will be on the road facing the New York Knicks in what should be an entertaining matchup between two spirited rivals. Furthermore, the Hawks will not be on national television.

Trae Young was none too pleased about that and was not afraid to let the league know about it.

“MLK disappointed in y’all.. @NBA,” the three-time All-Star posted on X on August 15. “I’m sorry Atlanta.”

The post included a graphic from the league’s X account showcasing a three-game TV slate for the holiday which is meant to be a day of service to commemorate the life of late civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King was born in Atlanta and spent the first 12 years of his life there.

He also returned later in his adult years and lived out the rest of his life in the city, serving as both an activist and pastor.

It makes sense, then, for the Hawks to be in action on the day as part of the NBA’s greater celebration of the life and deeds of Dr. King. The Hawks beat the San Antonio Spurs on MLK Day in 2024. 

They beat the Miami Heat on the holiday the season prior.

The Hawks also beat the Milwaukee Bucks (2022) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2021) with their last loss coming to the Toronto Raptors in 2020.

Hawks near bottom of national TV games count

Young’s message to the league underscores a greater theme of the Hawks’ 2024-25 slate: a lack of primetime exposure.

The Hawks have eight “nationally televised” games in 2024-25, which puts them among the second-lowest tier in The Athletic’s groupings from August 15. Six of those will appear on NBA TV with only two games (one each) getting primetime exposure as they would on ESPN or TNT. 

Both of the Hawks’ games on ESPN and TNT will be against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Hawks went 5-6 in their nationally televised (including NBA TV) games in 2023-24, but they were 1-1 in their games on ESPN and won their lone contest on TNT.

Most notable was their victory against the Spurs on MLK Day which aired on TNT. Just another reason Young was justified in calling out the NBA’s decision to have the Hawks on the road on the holiday.