Amid coronavirus, Hawks take extra steps to keep State Farm Arena clean

January 24, 2020 Atlanta: Morning walkers stroll past State Farm Arena on Monday morning, Jan. 27, 2020 where the Atlanta Hawks played Sunday night mindful of the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter and seven others Sunday. Atlanta Hawks Trae Young reflected on the tragedy Sunday following the Hawks game at State Farm Arena. “We didn’t have a lot on our mind besides Kobe and Gigi and everybody in the accident,” Young told Fox Sports Southeast’s Andre Aldridge in his postgame interview after his electric performance. “We just wanted to go out and play hard, have that mamba mentality.” Gianna, a budding student of the game, was a big fan of Young’s, who attended some basketball camps of Bryant’s back in high school and watched him play in Oklahoma City in the later years of his career, when he wore No. 24 (the Wizards took a 24-second shot-clock violation to start Sunday’s game). Bryant eventually got in contact with Young’s trainer, Alex Bazzell, and enlisted his help working with Gianna. She and Bryant sat courtside for two Hawks games this season: the loss in Los Angeles Nov. 17 and the loss in Brooklyn Dec. 21. In the wake of the crash, Young tweeted about meeting Gianna for the first time after the Lakers game, posting a picture of the two of them about to embrace in a hallway in Staples Center as Bryant looked on. “She told me how much she loved watching me play,” Young said of the encounter, a smile cracking through the sadness. “She was a big fan of mine.” JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM