Photograph courtesy of the Atlanta Hawks
Adnan Ikic dresses for battle for a recent Atlanta Hawks matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. Sporting a painted red A on both of his cheeks and an old Dejounte Murray jersey, he heads into State Farm Arena and up to Section 122, where his seat, which he won’t ever sit in, is located. Ikic is a member of the FanDuel 404 Crew, a group of 92 superfans who lead chants throughout the game. After the players stream onto the court, Ikic stands on his chair and rips his jersey off to lead the crowd in chanting “A-T-L.”
The 404 Crew is the recent rebrand of the Sixth Man Section, which started in 2009 as the Hawks’ “student section.” It was launched by an intern, Drew Frank, then a Georgia Tech student who now works as the Hawks’ game presentation director. For packed weekend games, this youthful crew (open to all ages, provided they can yell) serves as the bass line to the crowd’s melody; on more barren weeknights, they keep the energy high.
Last summer, however, the Sixth Man Section was thrown into flux when its title sponsor, Kia, backed out of its endorsement deal. Rumors swirled that the Hawks had nixed the section for good. “I was nervous with what was being said, and we weren’t told everything right away,” Ikic says. Luckily, the team brought the section back this season, now renamed the FanDuel 404 Crew and sponsored by the digital sports betting company. “The transition ended up being seamless for us.”
Ikic, who moved to the United States from Bosnia when he was three, started going to Hawks games with his dad. He quickly noticed the rowdy Sixth Man Section: His dad had led the supporters section for their Bosnian hometown’s soccer club, and they both liked to sit close to the Hawks’ supporters group to catch the atmosphere.
When Ikic was 19, he decided to try out for the group. In an American Idol–style audition, Ikic told four judges why he should be in the section, chanted for them, and attended a preseason game to show off his energy. “When I got the email that I made it, I was so over the moon that I quit my part-time job on the spot,” Ikic says. “It would have conflicted with the games, and there will always be another job.”
Ikic is now part of the 404 Crew leadership, so he handles duties such as organizing tickets and finding substitute cheerers. His dad also joined the crew and sits next to Ikic for most home games. The 404 Crew plans to recruit more fans to maintain and potentially expand the section. It has competition in the NBA: This season, the Los Angeles Clippers introduced a 4,500-person supporters section called The Wall at their new arena. At the section’s debut game, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, shooting in front of the cheering hordes, missed two key free throws. “When I see something like what the Clippers have, I am inspired to seek growth and maybe even get a spot behind the basket,” says Ikic.
The Hawks are watching other supporters sections but are mostly focused on making theirs unique. “The 404 Crew is our way to put the megaphone on the fans to create home-court advantage,” says Joe Abercrombie, senior vice president of entertainment and production. Abercrombie doesn’t participate in the cheers, but he makes sure to sit behind the 404 Crew for every home game. “I feed off their energy, just like everyone else.”
This article appears in our February 2025 issue.
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