The Atlanta Hawks opened preseason on Monday night with a home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and they did it without one of their new wing additions in the lineup: Lu Dort.
Dort, who Atlanta acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason during that team’s fire sale, has already given Hawks fans something to chew on before the games really start counting. Appearing on the “How Hungry Are You?” podcast with former NBA player Serge Ibaka, Dort was asked whether an NBA championship or a gold medal for his native Canada would mean more to him.
“I’d say winning a gold medal because Canada gave my family a great opportunity to have a better life,” he said, per @katsuxbt on X, formerly Twitter.
That answer stands out, especially because Dort already has an NBA championship on his resume. He was a starter on the Thunder team that beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games in 2025 to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
It’s not exactly the kind of quote Hawks fans were hoping to hear as they get ready for the season, though Dort’s motor has never been in question no matter where he’s played.
Atlanta didn’t make the kind of headline-grabbing moves some other Eastern Conference teams chased this summer, but it did add help on the wing with Dort and former Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins. The Hawks also used the number eight overall pick in this past draft on Kingston Flemings.
Now the question is whether that group is enough for Atlanta to keep building on last year’s success in what looks like a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Hawks open the regular season on October 21 against the Orlando Magic.
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