Levensen apologized to Hawks fans and to the city of Atlanta, saying, “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.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed was angry. He told ESPN that he found the e-mail “reprehensible and offensive.”
The bizarre e-mail is especially inexplicable given that Levensen was one of Sterling’s most vocal critics, saying at the time, “I strongly believe that the league has to have a zero-tolerance policy against racism and discrimination in any form.”
ESPN says the situation “came to light only after one of his co-owners called for an investigation because of something that was included in a potential free-agent target’s background report that was read aloud by team General Manager Danny Ferry.”
It was after the Hawks hired a law firm to perform an investigation based on the remark being included in the team’s research of the player, an interview which resulted in 19 interviews and a review of more than 24,000 documents, that Levensen’s e-mail was discovered. The Hawks informed the NBA, which launched its own investigation. Levenson reportedly made the choice to sell the team on his own.
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin will oversee the day-to-day operations of the team. He released this statement to the city of Atlanta and Hawks fans.
“Today’s statement from controlling owner Bruce Levenson is extremely disappointing and the e-mail that he sent over two years ago was alarming, offensive, and most of all, completely unacceptable and does not reflect the principles and values of the Hawks organization.”
Some skeptics believe that Levensen was looking for an excuse to sell the team after the record $2 billion sale of the Clippers; others claim Levensen was terrified of what the fallout would be if the e-mail was released. According to Forbes, the Milwaukee Bucks, also sold this year, went for more than $500 million.
The NBA insists that Levensen voluntarily reported the situation back in July, but it raises the question—is there a larger problem festering beneath the plush carpeting inside the executive offices of NBA governors?