The Atlanta Hawks are obsessed with Uno
The simple game of Uno, a version of crazy eights, is the all the craze for the Atlanta Hawks.
As Scott Cacciola of the New York Times describes in a team profile, the Hawks take Uno very, very seriously. As assistant coach Darvin Ham says of the game: "It's every emotion possible."
The Hawks apparently don't just follow the simple rules of Uno. They have their own rules. Kent Bazemore calls it "the WWE of Uno, man. It's crazy." He would know - the three other players once conspired to make Bazemore pick up 50 cards in one round.
Bazemore, Al Horford, Kyle Korver, and Dennis Schroder form a close-knit group that plays regularly. Tim Hardaway Jr. joined the group for a few weeks, but said he was too tired one time, and hasn't been invited back since.
Schroder is responsible for packing the cards for their games on the flights. "Dennis takes real good care of the deck," Bazemore said.
Bazemore is in the process of ordering an actual high-stakes championship belt. Current champion Lamar Patterson can't wait. "Iām going to be walking around with it everywhere I go," he said.