Atlanta, GA
The special father-son connection behind Atlanta Braves prospect’s first baseball card
Thousands of parents photograph their children every year playing baseball. But how many players can say one of their parents snapped a photo that ended up on their first professional baseball card?
That scenario is what makes 21-year-old Atlanta Braves prospect Cody Miller’s 1st Bowman card, within Topps’ recently released 2025 Bowman Draft set, one of the unique stories in recent sports card memory. Cody’s father, Brian Miller, took the photo that ended up on the card.
Topps doesn’t make it a habit of tracking down little Johnny’s mother or father to scour through scrapbooks to unearth their son’s best image. It just so happened that Brian served as East Tennessee State’s baseball photographer during the 2025 Southern Conference tournament, as well as ETSU’s journey in the NCAA Tournament.
Brian Miller and his son Cody at an Augusta GreenJackets game last season. (Courtesy of the Millers)
Brian is no stranger to shooting sports photos. It often trickled into his day job as a college sports information director. He’s worked at such schools as LSU, Tulane, Stony Brook, Auburn and Louisiana Tech and currently works at Coker University, a Division II school in South Carolina. After leaving Stony Brook in 2020, Brian put his passion for photography to work by doing what else: shooting pictures of his boys playing college baseball.
It started when he morphed into the official baseball photographer for Herkimer College, a New York junior college nestled between Syracuse and Albany, where his older son, Trey, played. After honing his skills and upgrading his equipment over the years, Brian’s hobby turned into a dream job as he captured Herkimer’s run to the 2024 NJCAA World Series championship. Brian parlayed that experience into shooting son Cody and the ETSU squad toward the end of the 2025 season, which resulted in the school’s first SoCon baseball tournament title and inclusion in the NCAA Tournament.
So when the Braves selected Cody, ETSU’s standout shortstop, in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, this meant a Cody Miller 1st Bowman card would be mass produced to hunt down in the hundreds of thousands of Bowman Draft packs. This also meant Topps would need to track down a photo of Cody.
This resulted in the rare occasion when Topps would have to call the father of a player for the photo. And what’s another advantage to having your father take your college baseball photos.
“I got to basically choose what picture I wanted on the card,” Cody said.
So it’s no wonder the Bowman card photo shot by Brian shows Cody’s home run — the second shot of a back-to-back homer sequence — against Wright State in the NCAA Tournament at the Nashville Regional in what turned out to be Cody’s final college game.
The original photo of Cody Miller (left) and the end product used for Topps’ 1st Bowman card. (Brian Miller, eBay)
Topps latched on to the story, alerting the Millers it would promote the rare father/son 1st Bowman photo connection leading up to the release of 2025 Bowman Draft.
Of course, Brian went hunting for Cody’s cards starting on Bowman Draft release day (Jan. 14). And so did Cody. Both of them hopped into Bowman Draft box break livestreams. Cody said one of the vendors asked if he was the Cody Miller. He obliged and said yes. But Cody failed in his quest for his cards that first day.
“It was still cool to be in there and for them to realize that I was there,” Cody said. “They appreciated it, and they said that was their first player that had ever done a break with him.”
Brian eventually landed a Cody card. He was set, saying, “I just wanted a card, just to have one.” But the exposure of the Millers’ story drew numerous Bowman Draft collectors in, with Cody and Brian being flooded with messages through social media of people wanting to send over Cody Miller cards.
Then came Chris Childs of Buford, Ga.
Childs sat with his son Gavin in his truck, waiting for the gym to open for a youth basketball practice Jan. 14. Childs started watching YouTube videos in the truck about the 2025 Bowman Draft set to pass the time. Gavin, a baseball card collector like his dad, asked Childs about 1st Bowman cards — specifically the “1st Bowman auto” card — and why they were special.
Every prospect inks the inscription “My 1st Bowman auto” along with his signature on the No. 1 serial-numbered card within the blue parallel. There are 150 serial-numbered blue parallel cards for each player within the set. So even though it’s not numbered as a one-of-one card, technically the player’s rarest card, the “001/150” card is also one of a kind given it’s the only card with that inscription.
Childs then told Gavin, “You know, if I ever got one, I think I’d just give it to the family.” Gavin asked why. Childs told his son he thought it would be special for the parents of a prospect to own the card as a keepsake to represent the hard work many parents face in transporting their child for so many years to practices and games. Basically a reminder of the parents’ job well done in helping their son live his dreams.
The next day, Childs bought into a “pick your team” break through WeTheHobby during the vendor’s online stream on the card-selling platform Fanatics Live. Childs bought only one team in the break: the Braves, which meant he would get all the cards of that team’s players that came out of the packs in the break.
It didn’t take long for Childs, under the username “CobraKhan0035,” to speak his generosity into reality. WeTheHobby’s Drew Weber slowly revealed Miller’s “My 1st Bowman auto” card and followed up with, “Bang! There we go baby!” Then “CobraKhan0035” typed into the accompanying live chat, “And I said if I got one I’d give it to his parents” followed by “I need to see if his parents want it for free.”
What makes this even more heartfelt was that Childs had “no idea” about the backstory of the Millers. Not until after pulling the card and proclaiming he’d give it to Miller’s parents did he learn how Topps promoted Brian Miller’s hunt for his son’s cards in part because of the shared father-son connection.
“Just me and my son having a conversation in the truck waiting for the gym to open and then it just happens,” Childs said. “Then (Gavin) got home from school that day. I was like, ‘Hey, guess what happened?’ I showed him the picture. He was like, ‘No way! Can we give it to the parents?’”
Childs originally reached out to Cody Miller, who made a quick double play-like transfer to the thrilled Brian Miller.
“My wife says, ‘You know, it’s because you talked about it, it just kind of happened.’ She’s a big believer in the manifestation of stuff like that,” Childs said.
Brian Miller (center) with the Childs family. (Courtesy of Brian Miller)
The Millers both said they couldn’t thank Childs enough for his selfless offer. Brian Miller met up with Chris, Gavin and Jensen (Chris’ younger son) Childs on Thursday outside of Truist Park, the Braves’ home stadium, to exchange the card for some of Cody’s memorabilia as a thank you.
“I really had hoped that I would be able to get that card,” Brian Miller said. ”I never imagined that it would have been pulled right away. And then … to have somebody who’s not selfish and doesn’t want it for the money. … There’s a lot of selfless people that I’ve come across in my short time back in (the hobby). It’s kind of surreal for me to be in the middle of it, but it’s truly a feel-good story.”
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Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks prediction, pick for Game 1 of 2026 NBA Playoffs first round
Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway with a loaded opening round. Taking place in the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks.
You can check out the full series preview on DraftKings Network here.
Looking at the odds for the series opener, the Knicks enter as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks are +205 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 218.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Eastern Conference series opener.
Hawks vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Atlanta Hawks went through a midseason transition, moving on from Trae Young after he headlined the production for the franchise for the past eight years. The Hawks have not missed a beat amid the major midseason shakeup, finishing as the sixth seed in the conference with a 46-36 overall record. On the season, Atlanta has gone 44-38 against the spread, and the game total has gone 41-41 to the over/under.
Jock Landale is the only player set to miss the matchup tonight. Jalen Johnson headlines the production, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a breakout season in a new location, adding 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. CJ McCollum adds 18.7 points and 4.1 assists across his first 41 games with the organization, while Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zaccharie Risacher also play notable roles.
Quin Snyder’s group scores 118.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and fifth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.0 points per game against Atlanta, which ranks 18th in the league. They also rank ninth in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent three-point percentage.
The New York Knicks entered the season with legitimate title aspirations. They have had some notable ups and downs, but now face this opportunity. New York finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and sit in third place in the East. The Knicks have gone 44-39 against the spread, and the game total has gone 38-45 to the over/under.
The Knicks enter this matchup with a clear injury report and a large sample size of the team playing together. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns pitches in 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists of his own. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the production at the wing positions, while Josh Hart sets the tone for this team from a hustle standpoint. New York also did an impressive job building out the bench unit this season, with players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek capable of serving as X-factors off the bench.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 116.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. New York also ranks third in offense rating, 11th in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 110.1 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks fifth in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and 20th in opponent three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Knicks pick, best bet
These are two teams at different stages of their timeline, but neither will be afraid of this playoff spotlight. The Knicks pushed their chips in around this core and are hoping to be rewarded for it. They fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals last year and have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Atlanta missed out on the playoffs in back-to-back years and turned a new page direction with Jalen Johnson now leading the charge. Without Trae Young, the Hawks now lean on more of a defensive-minded identity and have a roster loaded with athleticism.
During the regular season, these teams faced off three times. They split the first two matchups, which took place on December 27th and January 2nd. New York picked up a narrow 108-105 victory in the most recent game, which took place on April 6th. Both sides were aware that this was a potential postseason matchup, and this game had some major seeding implications. It was an evenly matched game in which neither team was able to extend a lead beyond 10 points, and the rebounding battle was separated by just one board. The biggest discrepancy came with the Knicks shooting 50% compared to the Hawks shooting 40%, and New York outscoring Atlanta 52-34 in the paint.
While there are higher expectations for this Knicks team in the postseason outlook, the Hawks stack up fairly well in this matchup. Jalen Brunson will be at the heart of the offensive attack for New York. But his biggest weakness is when he is guarded by high-level athletes with a size advantage over him. The Hawks have built out a roster loaded with this archetype of player, and there is not a clear matchup for Brunson to hunt in most lineup combinations.
Brunson has enough experience and savvy to will settle in over the course of the series. But expect some growing pains in the early parts of this matchup, and for this to be a huge hurdle for this Knicks team. I am backing the Hawks to cover the 5.5-point spread and would not be shocked if they steal the opening game. This is a series in which neither side should be expected to pull away by major margins throughout. Count on Atlanta to have defense success and have a clear gameplan for limiting the impact of Brunson. Expect this matchup to come down to the wire and take the points in the series opener.
Best Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-112)
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