Considering the drama surrounding the Falcons and Braves over the past two years, the Hawks have remained mercifully quiet. Content in their arena, with stable ownership, and a decent team mean few headlines compared to their more popular siblings who have spent so much time and energy scrapping for new homes. Could the Hawks do with a few more fans? Sure. But what Atlanta sports team couldn’t. The NBA is flourishing though and the Hawks’ place in Atlanta’s sporting culture seemed secure.
At least, until early this month, when the bottom seemed to drop out from underneath the franchise.
Donald Sterling’s well documented fall from grace due to racist comments seemed to put the NBA on edge when the story broke early in 2014. For a league with predominantly minority players and large minority fan base, any perceived racism is met with swift discipline from the NBA’s front office. So when Hawks owner Bruce Levenson self reported a ‘racist’ email he had written several months prior, he went ahead and agreed to sell his interest in the team before the controversy became too much. This revelation, (which was more of a convenient way out for Levenson than a true racist moment) was followed by the news that Hawks GM Danny Ferry had made similarly racist comments about then-free agent Luol Deng, a player who the Hawks were interested in signing. Ferry has since been put on indefinite leave from the team and it seems unlikely that he will return. A quiet franchise was now embroiled in controversy.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry
Levenson’s partner, Ed Peskowitz, announced last week that he would sell his stake in the team as well, leaving a majority share, 50.1%, available. Fears quickly arose among the fan community that a new owner might move the team, not to Cobb, but out of the state entirely, (Seattle anyone?).
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has responded quickly, however, announcing Tuesday in a press conference that he had already talked with 5 or 6 potential buyers, and that he would do anything in his power to keep the team in Atlanta. Over $150 million will become available to the city once the sale of Turner Field is finalized, although that move has been held up by the Braves, (much to Reed’s chagrin) as they work out the details of their move north to Cobb.
The value of the NBA has skyrocketed in recent years, with a new TV deal expected to further increase franchise values. There should be no shortage of buyers looking to get into the fray, and if the recent sales of the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks are any indication, a deal should get done sooner rather than later.
One potential name to look out for during this process is Dominique Wilkins, the former Hawks star who has served as a play by play announcer for the team for the past several years. Reed made a point of praising Wilkins at his press conference on Tuesday, and announced that the team will unveil a statue of him in front of Philips Arena later next season. Don’t be surprised to hear that a group of buyers, headlined by Wilkins, is among the favorites to land the team. As the Falcons can tell you, (and the Braves can not) having an owner who actually cares about the team and the city can go a long way in driving sustained success, something the Hawks are certainly striving for.
