ATLANTA (AP) -‘Spirit the Hawk’ was back for Game 5. This time, though, the real-life mascot was firmly attached to a trainer’s arm.
The hawk, who got loose during the Game 2 introductions and wound up causing a brief delay, was introduced along with the Atlanta players but wasn’t allowed to take flight.
The fierce-looking bird has become a bit of a celebrity since its April 23 fly-around, getting lots of national TV play and even its own site on Twitter. (We’ll have to assume someone is ghostwriting the animal’s thoughts in 140 characters or less.)
NBA commissioner David Stern even weighed in on the famous bird of prey, which spends most of its time on display at Zoo Atlanta.
“If you live long enough, you’ll see just about anything,” said Stern, who was in Atlanta Wednesday as part of his tour of playoff cities. “I really feel badly for the bird. He was probably frightened. I’m not excited about the Hawks having a bird that’s not well behaved.”
n his trainer’s arm and flapped out around at center court while the starting lineup was introduced. A secure tether ensured he didn’t get loose this time.
During the introduction before Game 2, Spirit was released from the rafters so he could fly to his trainer on the court. But, apparently spooked by something, he settled on top of the scoreboard for a few minutes, then flew around the arena while the game went on below him.
He landed for a while on a railing, preventing fans from getting to their seats, before landing on top of the backboard. When the players spotted him, the game had to be halted.
Finally, having gotten in his 15 minutes of game, Spirit flew to his handler and was taken out of the arena to a loud ovation.
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