Hawks' Levenson to sell controlling interest after racial e-mail

Sep 7, 2014 - 4:17 PM Atlanta, GA (SportsNetwork.com) - Atlanta Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson has decided to sell his controlling interest in the franchise in the wake of a racially insensitive e-mail he wrote two years ago.

The Hawks released a statement from Levenson on Sunday and said CEO Steve Koonin will oversee team operations during the sale process.

According to the NBA, Levenson reported his e-mail remarks to the league in July and informed commissioner Adam Silver of his decision to sell his interest in the franchise on Saturday night.

The league, of course, dealt with racially insensitive comments earlier this year when Silver banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life and forced him to sell the franchise.

Levenson said his e-mail comments were "inappropriate and offensive" as he tried to address issues relating to low attendance and the need for more season ticket holders and corporate sponsorship.

"I shared my thoughts on why our efforts to bridge Atlanta's racial sports divide seemed to be failing." Levenson wrote in his statement Sunday.

"I trivialized our fans by making cliched 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.

"I have said repeatedly that the NBA should have zero tolerance for racism, and I strongly believe that to be true. That is why I voluntarily reported my inappropriate e-mail to the NBA."

Silver said in a statement Sunday that the league was investigating the issue and had not yet concluded its inquiry when Levenson informed him of his decision to sell.

"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," Silver said on Sunday. "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.

"I commend Mr. Levenson for self-reporting to the league office, for being fully cooperative with the league and its independent investigator, and for putting the best interests of the Hawks, the Atlanta community, and the NBA first."

Silver said the league will work with the Hawks during the sale process.