Atlanta Hawks announced center Clint Capela as the recipient of the 2022-23 Sekou Smith Award, which annually honors the player on the team’s roster who best represents themselves and the franchise with professionalism and integrity in their interactions with the media.
Capela was selected via vote from a select local media panel. He will be recognized tonight during a pregame presentation, which will include members of Smith’s family.
“Throughout the course of the season, Clint has been accommodating, thoughtful and candid with the media,” said Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Garin Narain. “He has a respect for the importance of the coverage they provide and the stories they tell our fans. There were many deserving candidates this year, and we’re excited to honor Clint.”
In addition to the award, the Hawks named the media workroom at State Farm Arena after Smith in 2021, redesigning the space to honor his memory. The team also launched an annual Hawks-NBA Summer League internship in Smith’s name in 2021.
Smith served as the AJC’s Hawks beat writer from 2005-09 before joining NBA Digital as a multimedia reporter and analyst. He also spent time at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS and the Indianapolis Star, where he covered the Indiana Pacers as the team’s beat writer.
Past Sekou Smith Award Winners Past Sekou Smith Hawks-NBA Summer League Interns
2020-21 John Collins 2021 Clement Gibson (Jackson State University)
2021-22 Kevin Huerter 2022 Cullen Davis (Alabama State University)
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