Pope Francis receives MLK jersey from Atlanta Hawks
MANILA, Philippines — The Atlanta Hawks have sent Pope Francis a special gift: a limited edition Martin Luther King jersey.
Blessed by the pontiff, the jersey honors the Atlanta native son and civil rights icon who was assassinated in 1968.
The package contained a No. 1 jersey, with "MLK" across the front -- in place of the "Hawks" or the city name and Francis' name across the back.
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— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 15, 2021
On Dr. King's birthday, @Pontifex blessed our 20-21 MLK Nike City Edition jersey to honor our shared commitment to making positive change in social equality, economic empowerment and love.
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The Hawks released a video of Francis opening the package. The pontiff said "thank you very much" then proceeded to bless and sign the jersey.
Back in November, the pontiff met with a delegation of NBA players to discuss social justice and economic inequality.
The Hawks will wear the jerseys for the first time on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) when the team hosts its annual game on MLK day.
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