Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson has submitted himself to the NBA Organization regarding his actions of racism. He told NBA that he had sent an email last August 2012 with racist content and has announced that he will be selling the team.
Levenson sent an email to Hawks President Danny Ferry saying that the Hawks fanbase are heavily African-American and that it drives away the whites.
According to Levenson statement "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."
He added "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."
It can be remembered that Levenson is one of the stronger critics of Donald Sterling who was also embroiled in a racist controversy and reluctantly sold the LA Clippers. Levenson said of the issue "I think I speak for all of my partners when I say we were all deeply offended. We all quickly spoke out against the words we heard on that tape."
Levenson said that he was embarrassed of his actions and is remorseful of it. He closed his statement saying "To the Hawks family and its fans, you have my deepest gratitude for the past ten years. "Working with this team and its extraordinary executives, coaching staff, and players has been one of the highlights of my life. I am proud of our diverse, passionate, and growing legion of Hawks fans, and I will continue to join you in cheering for the best team in the NBA."
Levenson is stepping down effective immediately. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, who joined the team in April after leading Turner Entertainment, will take over team operations.
