Basketball and reality TV proved a lively mix as the Atlanta Hawks welcomed Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore and Shereé Whitfield of Bravo’s mammoth hit “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” to Philips Arena Friday night during their losing battle with the Houston Rockets. Flitting around the stadium, whether in tandem, solo or varying combinations of a trio, the ladies were all smiles and good vibes as they promoted the tenth season of the Atlanta hallmark, featuring the full season return of NeNe Leakes with Kim Zolciak-Biermann recurring, and its Sunday night premiere.
Through a contest with Atlanta urban radio‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ station, and official Hawks partner, V-103, a few fans got a chance to get up-close and personal with the reality stars in the exclusive owner’s lounge. The hottest action, however, was reserved for the Hawks’ new Courtside Club, helmed by former Bacchanalia executive chef Joe Schafer, and also the Hawks bar. The bar is a first for the NBA. No other team has an exclusive bar on the court. In addition, very few teams can lay claim to a “Housewives” franchise. Joining forces with the city’s music, television and film community has been a boon for the Hawks. Coincidentally, the team also retired a jersey for outgoing Mayor Kasim Reed, who championed the city’s entertainment community throughout his two terms.
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Hawks CEO and former Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin understands television quite well and knows exactly how rare the success of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” is. “I remember when the show was introduced ten years ago,” Koonin said near the entrance of the Courtside Club. “A decade later, that’s almost record-setting, especially in unscripted television.”
Celebrating the milestone made great sense to Koonin. “Maybe the most famous show that emanates from Atlanta is “The Real Housewives” so the idea was ‘let’s bring the queens to the court’.”
And hold court they did. Whether taking selfies with fans, doing interviews with FOX Sports and V-103, showing up on the jumbotron or just relaxing in the Courtside Club, it was impossible not to know the ladies were in the building. It’s a gesture they all seemed to embrace. During downtime, each reflected on the journey to now.
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Original “Real Housewives” member Shereé Whitfield marveled at the show’s longevity and ruled it a positive move for her, despite the drama the show often brings.
“It’s a wonderful platform to be on, even with all the drama and some of the things you deal with,” she said. “I signed up for a reality show, so some of the things [on the show] I may not want to talk about, but at the end of the day, I’ve learned that we’re all human, and people can relate to some of the bad things, good things too . . . Inspiring and empowering other people makes it all worth it.”
One-time Miss USA Kenya Moore shared that she is most grateful for the business platform the show has given her. “With the launch of my haircare line, Kenya Moore Haircare, it has just grown so quickly that I could not imagine that it would be so well ahead of its business plan in such a short period of time [without the show].”
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Model Cynthia Bailey, who moved to Atlanta ten years ago from New York City after walking runaways all over Europe and gracing magazine covers, said becoming a part of the Bravo franchise “has opened doors to acting and all kinds of possibilities.” The greatest gift she has received from the show, she shared, is name recognition. “Not only am I known for my face; [now] I am also known for my name.”
For Atlanta native Kandi Burruss, the show has literally been life-altering in all aspects of her life. Burruss, who had already achieved fame as a member of Jermaine Dupri’s girl group, Xscape, and was a hit songwriter, admitted that she didn’t have high hopes for her involvement in the show initially.
“When I first came on the show, I didn’t think it was going to be a major thing for me,” she said seated in the Courtside Club before a full plate. “I really just thought it was going to be just a fluke, something cool to do just for a season, and now here I am eight seasons later. It’s crazy.”
“The show itself has changed my life so much,” gushed Burruss, who had just given away a set of tickets to her newly reunited group Xscape’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Hawks home. As she reflected on meeting her husband Todd Tucker, seated nearby, who worked on the show, and welcoming her second child, her signature smile widened. “I’ve grown into a whole new person,” she beamed.
The 10th season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” airs Sunday on Bravo at 8 p.m.
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