This behind-the-scenes Hawks moment says everything about their culture

Last night at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, the Atlanta Hawks hosted their 14th annual Coaches Clinic. I was fortunate enough to cover the event and witness firsthand how the franchise values building relationships with its community.

While this has been an annual event for over a decade, this was the first year the Hawks hosted it in partnership with their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks.

The purpose of this event is to provide local coaches of all levels with invaluable expertise from some of the most proven basketball instructors in the world. More than 250 coaches across the state of Georgia were in attendance.

Hawks Head Coach Quin Snyder was unable to attend this year, but Atlanta's talented assistant coaches held down the fort and led an incredible evening.

Just before the clinic began, I was able to catch up with Skyhawks Head Coach Steve Klei.

I asked him about the importance of events like these, not only in connecting with the Atlanta community, but in building a reliable brand for the Skyhawks.

"I mean, it's a tremendous opportunity to connect with local coaches. I think that's a big thing. Talk about sharing knowledge, but building relationships and seeing those relationships grow is also a really important part of this."

Klei is no stranger to achieving success through strong relationships. Representing both the Skyhawks and the Hawks, it is clear that he has gained the trust of his NBA peers through years of hard work and maintaining relationships.

Entering his second season as head coach of the Skyhawks, I asked Klei if there was any expertise he could give the coaches in attendance that he would not have been able to a year ago.

"I think anybody that's ever been a head coach would tell you it's so much different from being an assistant coach. I learned a lot of lessons just from moving one chair over," Klei continued, "You know, the one thing that I've thought about most this summer is how we teach and how we train, a little bit of what we're going to share tonight."

Spoiler alert: they did just that.

"When you're a head coach, you have this vision of how you want to play and how the team's supposed to look. The drills are really the tools to allow you to get that out of your team. So, the thing that I'd probably take away the most from last year is how important and how much time you need to spend into how you drill and how you train."

The night began with legendary play-by-play commentator Bob Rathbun sitting down with Hawks assistant coach Mike Brey in front of the large crowd of coaches eager to learn.

Brey shared some valuable insight, detailing his journey from Notre Dame to the NBA. This segment lasted around an hour, giving coaches in the crowd the chance to ask him any questions.

After their introduction, the drills began. Atlanta's coaching staff displayed several bits of action. Hawks Assistant Coach Kendal Manuel gave a lesson on defensive intensity, followed by a pick and roll session with Hawks Assistant Coach Ashton Smith. Coach Reggis Onwukamuche, another Atlanta assistant, focused on showcasing the double-drag and how to defend advanced screening.

The day concluded with Skyhawks Head Coach Steve Klei and assistants Seth Jackson and Kari Korver giving an advanced lesson on defensive closeouts and reaction reads.

Before everyone was sent on their way, I caught up with Hawks Vice President of Basketball Programs, Jon Babul, who explained why Atlanta's relationship with their community is special.

"I think the beauty of the College Park Skyhawks is that the G League used to be called the developmental league, and that's what tonight is all about. It's developing the future of coaches in Atlanta, in our community. It's about developing skills, and more importantly it's about developing relationships. That's what coaching is."

He went on praise both the Hawks and Skyhawks staff, detailing how they have been able to build a unique connection.

"Quin Snyder is a master relationship builder. His staff, Mike Brey tonight, talked about connection and when you're coaching youth, there's an emphasis on connecting with them. To teach, you've got to build a relationship. That's what the Skyhawks do daily. They develop and teach, so just a beautiful marriage."

There is no better way to prepare for an exciting season, all while connecting with the local community, than to host an event like this.

The coaches in attendance gained something valuable yesterday. Whether it was a deeper understanding of the game or just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with the Atlanta Hawks, the Coaches Clinic was once again a remarkable success.