Onieka Okongwu debuts Bane mask ahead of Hornets clash
Onieka Okonwgu missed four games for Atlanta Hawks after suffering a serious mouth injury in the team’s 117-106 win over the Boston Celtics on Jan. 28. He finally returned to action on Saturday in the club’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, wearing a face mask.
The mask made the 25-year-old center looks like Banevillain in the Batman universe. The Hawks even played up the character of Bane in their post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by sharing a quote from the famous character from “The Dark Knight Rises” starring Tom Hardy (Bane) and Christian Bale (Batman).
Think darkness is your ally? You just adopted the darkness. I was born in it, shaped by it. pic.twitter.com/CVOJkrfUZ4
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 8, 2026
Atlanta is glad to have Okongwu back in the lineup. He was prepared for a key role afterwards The Hawks traded Kristaps Porzingis away from the Golden State Warriors. Mr. Okongwu emerged as a franchise star, averaging 16.3 points (career high), 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists (career high), 1.2 steals (career high) and 1.0 blocks per game. He is also shooting 48.2% from the floor and 36.7% from beyond the three-point line.
The injury that Okongwu sustained looked horrible. He took a hard hit on Celtics star Jaylen Brown, as Brown’s elbow connected with Okongwu’s mouth. The Hawks star suffered a fractured tooth which appears to have knocked out several of his teeth. Onyeka Okongwu was forced to undergo surgery on his mouth shortly after the injury.
His return is ideal for the Hawks, as the team is right in the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference. It’s a tight race, though, as Atlanta’s winning streak could potentially catapult the club up the rankings.
2026-02-08 01:03:00
