Atlanta Hawks rookie Asa Newell was among those in attendance on Sunday to watch the Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies in a division matchup at Truist Park.
Newell, who was born in Atlanta and played at Georgia, was the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The team acquired his draft rights, along with an unprotected 2026 first-round pick, from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the 13th pick.
The 19-year-old arrived in Atlanta over the weekend and was introduced at a press conference on Friday. He stopped by to watch the Braves on Sunday, though the Georgia native wasn’t treated to a win after the Phillies walked away with the 2-1 win to take the series.
Newell was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, one steal and one block on 54.3% shooting from the field in 33 games. He ranked 14th in the country in offensive box plus-minus (plus-7.6) and 20th in offensive rebounds (110).
The 6-foot-10 forward became the first freshman to lead the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding since Jumaine Jones during the 1997-98 season. He recorded six 20-point performances, en route to the fourth-most points in a single season among freshmen in program history (509).
Newell is expected to suit up with the Hawks in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning on July 11 against the Miami Heat (4:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN2).