FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10/16/14 CONTACT: Garin Narain or Jelani Downing, Hawks Corporate Communications (404) 878-3800 HAWKS AND SUPERSTAR T.I. TEAMING UP TO THROW THE BIGGEST PARTY IN ATLANTA FOR OPENING NIGHT Incredible Performances, Free Hawks Bucks and An Electrifying New Team Introduction will make Philips Arena the Place to Be on Opening Night ATLANTA, GA ----- The Atlanta Hawks and Grammy Award-winning superstar and Atlanta native Tip “T.I.” Harris have teamed up to make Opening Night versus the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Nov. 1 st the hottest ticket in town. The celebration will start as soon as fans enter the doors and fans will have good reason to come early. Everyone entering Philips Arena before 7:00 p.m. will receive $10 in Hawks Bucks and will be able to watch the first of three amazing performances by T.I. in a special pregame concert. T.I. will also collaborate with PA Announcer Ryan Cameron to introduce the players pregame before a state-of-the-art, must-be-seen-in-person introduction. All fans will also receive a free Grand Opening T-shirt courtesy of Kia Motors and there are other major surprises in store. “I think everybody needs to come out and make it their business to support the Hawks and support the city,” T.I. said. “I will be performing at the pregame show, the halftime and the postgame as well; all for the people who come to support my team, the Atlanta Hawks, and my city. We gotta set it off with a celebration.” To make sure everyone in Atlanta is included in the celebration, ticket prices have been reduced to the most fan-friendly and affordable in Hawks history. “We are beyond excited to partner with a superstar like T.I. and put on a first-class event to kick off the season and celebrate our city,” CEO Steve Koonin said. “We can’t wait to Pound the Pacers and put on a show for the city of Atlanta like they’ve never seen before at a basketball game.” #ATLOpeningTIP About T.I. Globally recognized as a visionary artist and groundbreaking multi-platform entrepreneur, T.I.’s stewardship of innovative label Grand Hustle, and multiple TV, digital and branding endeavors has made him a catalyst for some of the industry’s most exciting creative partnerships. Throughout his career, the multi-platinum Atlanta-native has set the standard by which all other hip hop icons are measured, achieving four Billboard Hot 100 #1’s, and selling more than 14 million albums and 30 million singles. One of the most honored artists working today, T.I. has been awarded 11 Billboard Awards, 9 BET Hip Hop Awards, 3 GRAMMY® Awards, 3 BET Awards, 2 American Music Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. His standout collaborations with some of music’s biggest artists include Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, B.O.B., Drake, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West and Swizz Beats. His label imprint Grand Hustle, founded in 2003, enters its second decade of operations as a platinum-plus proving-ground for some of the most innovative hip hop talent in the world. T.I.’s success in the visual realm has carried over to movies and television, with the versatile star experiencing remarkable success as an actor, appearing in the hit film Identity Thief and playing a guest starring role in the SHOWTIME series HOUSE OF LIES. He is also slated to appear in the upcoming Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell comedy GET HARD due out early next year and has been cast in the MARVEL film ANTMAN with co-star Paul Rudd. His VH1 unscripted series, T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle is already in its third season, capturing T.I. as he balances a thriving career, wife Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and their loving, blended family of six children. The series continues to be one of the highest rated shows on VH1. The tireless star is also executive producing a new series on the Oxygen Network – Sisterhood Of Hip Hop. His 9 th studio album PAPERWORK, executive produced by Pharrell, will be released October 21 st , 2014 and includes the #1 GOLD certified single “No Mediocre” ft. Iggy Azalea. For more information on T.I., visit tipaperwork.com , www.twitter.com/Tip , and www.facebook.com/TI . For all press inquiries, please contact Mike Navarra 201.450.2196 / [email protected] . About the Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks, a member of the National Basketball Association since 1968, strive to be champions on the court and in the community and to create lifelong memories along the way. On the court, the Hawks have reached the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons, which is the longest streak in the Eastern Conference. Off the court, the Hawks have awarded millions in charitable and in- kind contributions since 2004, including grants to area non-profits, scholarships for high school students and renovation of basketball courts in underserved neighborhoods. Philips Arena is consistently ranked among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world. In April 2009, Philips Arena became the first NBA arena to achieve LEED certification for an existing building as specified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Atlanta Hawks Membership which includes your seat for every home game for the 2014-15 regular season games are on sale now at www.hawks.com/membership or by calling 866-715-1500! For more information on the Hawks, log on to www.hawks.com today or follow us on twitter @ATLHawks. .