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Hawks want fans to link arms during 'Unity Game'

Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Several teams in the NBA have planned demonstrations of unity during the national anthem, but no plan is more ambitious than that of the Atlanta Hawks.

An hour-long discussion concocted the idea to have everyone in Philips Arena link arms during their first home exhibition game next Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The event will be termed the "Unity Game" in celebration of Atlanta's diversity, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitutional reports.

Newly installed center Dwight Howard presented the idea to head coach Mike Budenholzer, who said he has yet to make a final determination on it.

But, as swingman Kent Bazemore explains, it won't be a protest of any kind, as the team is hoping to avoid doing anything controversial.

"With all the stuff that is going on, it's a super delicate situation," Bazemore said. "A lot of people across the world feel differently about what is going on. We are trying to bring everyone together.

"Protesting the national anthem is so vague because there is so much going on, pinpointing exactly what you are protesting. For us, we want to get everybody involved and let them know that everybody is being heard.

"Our biggest thing is not to cause any controversy. We don't want to have any distractions. We are chasing a championship. It's pivotal that we get our message out and we do it in a very respectable way. I'm sure everybody here will buy in."

Howard, a native of Atlanta, furthered that message of unity.

"It says the United States of America," Howard said. "We have to be unified. We have to be together. We want to show the world that we are unified, especially as a city."

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