Darn it
Unfortunately, it appears the trend of racist owners being uncovered by their “behind-closed-doors” didn’t begin and end with ousted former Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014, and now, the Atlanta Hawks will be shopped to someone else. Their owner, Bruce Levenson, allegedly reported his own actions–which, in this case, are racist e-mails he sent two years ago to members of the Hawks organization in an effort to help raise ticket sales by diversifying the fan base.
Below is an excerpt from the official statement Levenson released.
In trying to address those issues, I wrote an e-mail two years ago that was inappropriate and offensive. I trivialized our fans by making clichéd assumptions about their interests (i.e. hip hop vs. country, white vs. black cheerleaders, etc.) and by stereotyping their perceptions of one another (i.e. that white fans might be afraid of our black fans). By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans.
If you’re angry about what I wrote, you should be. I’m angry at myself, too. It was inflammatory nonsense. We all may have subtle biases and preconceptions when it comes to race, but my role as a leader is to challenge them, not to validate or accommodate those who might hold them.
In addition, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had this to say about the quickly unfolding story.
Prior to the completion of the investigation, Mr. Levenson notified me last evening that he had decided to sell his controlling interest in the Atlanta Hawks. As Mr. Levenson acknowledged, the views he expressed are entirely unacceptable and are in stark contrast to the core principles of the National Basketball Association. He shared with me how truly remorseful he is for using those hurtful words and how apologetic he is to the entire NBA family – fans, players, team employees, business partners and fellow team owners – for having diverted attention away from our game.
No word yet on what the timetable will be concerning the sale of the team, but with the NBA season quickly approaching–September is the last full month of the offseason–we would imagine Silver and the Hawks aren’t wasting any time. The Hawks are coming off of a decent season, in which they secure the final Eastern Conference playoff spot shortly before almost eliminating the eventual Eastern Conference finalist Indiana Pacers, ultimately losing in Game 7 in their first round series.
