Hawks’ Bazemore buys 300 Atlanta Dream playoff tickets for local youth

Kent Bazemore is all smiles during his media interview at Hawks Media Day on Monday, September 25, 2017, in Atlanta.

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Kent Bazemore is all smiles during his media interview at Hawks Media Day on Monday, September 25, 2017, in Atlanta.

Game recognizes game. And Kent Bazemore is a major fan of the Atlanta Dream.

The Atlanta Hawks guard wants more people to see the city's impressive WNBA team. So, through his ARMS Foundation, Bazemore bought 300 tickets for youth in metro Atlanta for the Dream's playoff game on Sunday at McCamish Pavilion. Bazemore's foundation aims to provide "disadvantaged youth a path to a quality education, athletic achievement and a healthy lifestyle."

The Dream won a franchise record 23 games this season under the direction of first-year head coach Nicki Collen. They were armed with one of the top defenses in the WNBA, allowing opponents to make just 42.3 percent of shots from the floor, a mark that led the league.

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Bazemore, 29, is entering his fifth season with the Hawks. He's been a "huge supporter" of the Dream, a team spokesperson said, and has attended a handful of games this season to watch Tiffany Hayes, Elizabeth Williams and company in action.

On Wednesday, Bazemore sent the Dream a box full of Stephen Curry 5 Under Armour sneakers. Bazemore, who was teammates with Curry for two seasons in Golden State, is also endorsed by Under Armour.

"KB, the packages came in, we thank you," Hayes says in a video on the team's Instagram account as she opens the boxes.

“Thank you very much. Got my size 8,” says Renee Montgomery, the team’s starting point guard. “We thank you, for real.”

The Dream ended the season winning 16 of their last 19 games. Collen was named AP Coach of the Year and Hayes was named to All-WNBA First Team. Montgomery set the Dream franchise record for three pointers made in a season with 78 makes from behind the arc.

With a No. 2 seed in the playoffs, the Dream received a double-bye and will host Games 1 and 2 of the WNBA semifinals. The first game tips off at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

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