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Hawks' ownership rift headed to court
ATLANTA (AP) - A power struggle among the Atlanta Hawks' owners heads to court next week, overshadowing attempts in the offseason to improve the team with the fewest wins in the NBA last season.
Owner Steve Belkin of Boston has obtained a restraining order preventing his co-owners from removing him as the team's NBA governor.
As the NBA governor of the Atlanta Spirit LLC group, which also owns the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena, Belkin must sign off on the Hawks' trades. His refusal to approve the sign-and-trade deal for guard Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns prompted the rift.
The restraining order obtained Thursday prevents the other owners from following through with plans to vote Belkin out. The restraining order was first reported Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston.
"There was no other option but to seek legal protection," Belkin said Thursday.
On Friday, Belkin stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that he did not object to the five-year contract offer for Johnson valued at about $70 million, including about $20 million for the first year of the deal, making Johnson the team's highest-paid player.
Instead, Belkin said he consistently told other owners that he did not approve of the offer to the Suns - two first-round picks, second-year guard Boris Diaw and a $4.9 million trade exception. Now I can agree to this. Two first round picks?
Belkin released Friday's statement in an apparent effort to answer criticism that his objection to the trade came late in the negotiations with the Suns or was unexpected by the other owners or general manager Billy Knight.
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ATLANTA (AP) - A power struggle among the Atlanta Hawks' owners heads to court next week, overshadowing attempts in the offseason to improve the team with the fewest wins in the NBA last season.
Owner Steve Belkin of Boston has obtained a restraining order preventing his co-owners from removing him as the team's NBA governor.
As the NBA governor of the Atlanta Spirit LLC group, which also owns the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena, Belkin must sign off on the Hawks' trades. His refusal to approve the sign-and-trade deal for guard Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns prompted the rift.
The restraining order obtained Thursday prevents the other owners from following through with plans to vote Belkin out. The restraining order was first reported Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston.
"There was no other option but to seek legal protection," Belkin said Thursday.
On Friday, Belkin stressed in a statement to The Associated Press that he did not object to the five-year contract offer for Johnson valued at about $70 million, including about $20 million for the first year of the deal, making Johnson the team's highest-paid player.
Instead, Belkin said he consistently told other owners that he did not approve of the offer to the Suns - two first-round picks, second-year guard Boris Diaw and a $4.9 million trade exception. Now I can agree to this. Two first round picks?
Belkin released Friday's statement in an apparent effort to answer criticism that his objection to the trade came late in the negotiations with the Suns or was unexpected by the other owners or general manager Billy Knight.
Read story
