hawkdude55

NO NO NO!!! Levien is a cancer and has run two NBA franchises into the ground. Memphis has a 25 person ownership group...that is NOT what we need here in Atlanta! I appreciate everything Hank has accomplished in his life but how does that qualify him to run a basketball team? Indonesian billionaires and hedge fund guys don't need a couple million from an ex-baseball player, this is a pure play to try and win over fan sentiment in Atlanta. I'm not buying it. If it ain't broke don't fix it. I don't trust Levien that he wouldn't try and make changes to put "his" guys in. It doesn't look like he's ever worked with Bud, Ferry, or Koonin before and right now those are the right guys for this organization.

Koonin is definitely the solution, not the problem. I'm hoping that he can role over his share of ownership to the new owner. I don't think that a new owner would come in, buy him out, and replace him...that would be about as dumb of a thing as he could do and many Hawks fans (as well as the business community) would be pissed. To the poster above who said Koonin is only worth $5 million and makes $300k a year...I can assure you that you're wrong! Have you guys ever seen his house? It's a $10 million house in Buckhead. This guy ran a public company for 15 years...I'm sure he has some coin

It's amazing what a little leadership can do. I am a millenial myself and love what the Hawks have been doing. Koonin has to stay!!!

I just saw on Facebook that tomorrow morning in Atlanta on NBC 11 Alive tomorrow morning. Hadn't seen this posted here yet https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1609713769257310&set=vb.1466094053619283&type=2&theater In the teaser, he guarantees the team will remain in Atlanta. It starts at 11am on NBC (11 Alive)

Don't let those words fool you there. There is so much more to all of this. Ferry was punished, very severely, by Koonin. It was never announced publicly but that doesn't mean that this is some insider's club...make no mistake, there was punishment. How does one know that the punishment isn't the leave of absence? I think the writing on the wall is pretty clear and I do wish Danny all of the best in the future and in the NBA, but I don't think it'll be here...

Koonin is awesome. He is the best owner/executive in Atlanta sports today save Arthur Blank. And his tweets get me pumped

Exactly. What was this group doing?...even the Emory guy said that they had no clear mission. I would rather have the most loyal fans be sitting on a council than a bunch of self-promoting Atlanta businessmen. How many were paying season ticket holders and sponsors? I will trust Koonin, his strategy and the folks on the inside here more than Maria Saporta and a few people pissed about losing their access. This piece irked me because it just read as another Saporta piece trying to take shots at the Hawks

This means nothing

Bingo. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. I know two of the "Ambassadors" (and Koonin was one himself) who said that the program was absolutely pointless and they did nothing. There were no asks of them, and it was basically their way to get free tickets. I am going to trust Koonin on this one. If the Chief Marketing Officer of Coke, Kia, Philips, Delta, etc. came out and publicly spoke against it, then I would be concerned. But look at who is quoted here...it's not like any of them were sponsors.

I will try to recap. They say they will be talking about the sale of the team and opening night

I have a good friend who is very close with Koonin, and it is true, he is probably the world's number 1 Hawks fan, but also a great businessman. He is aware of the Squawk. Was anybody here at the member's only town hall that he led the other night? I heard it was great and people asked him the hard questions, but he answered each one, and even missed part of the game talking to fans. The one other thing that I know is that they really are going to overhaul the team's marketing and brand, but it takes over a year for the NBA to approve everything. We will have new uniforms, better brand, and the arena improvements will have started

I love this. This is what the Hawks have been missing for far too long. Koonin definitely "gets it".

That is very tight. Can't wait to see how it looks for us. Koonin is making a huge difference

I was that Squawk member and yes, do expect all new uniforms for next year. Expect potentially new colors as well, but know that red will be an essential piece of it. Remember that Koonin is a marketing genius and 30 year season ticket holder. They know what the fans want. It truly is a new day for Hawks fans...this isn't the same old regime. It just will take through the start of next season to come full circle with the whole re-brand, but the Hawks should be one of the best marketed teams in the NBA

This ^. Saporta has been an Atlanta only, local business beat reporter for 20+ years. Of course she is only hearing it from one side, the Atlanta side. The article lost credibility to me when it said that Gearon and Seydel are driven purely out of their love for Atlanta.

These are new uni's for this year, and this year only. Next year will see the larger re-design. If you remember, Koonin only came on board this summer. The NBA requires one year for a full uniform redesign to go along with the retail cycle. My friend who works for the Hawks said that next season we will be getting all new uniforms, color scheme, etc.

Great letter and I feel its sincerity. I think that Koonin has done a very good job in an impossible situation, torn between two warring sides and having to protect the franchise. I'm sure there's a lot we don't know as well, but I did think it was cool that he acknowledged that this was an ownership issue that exploited race. I find that despicable. I think we can emerge stronger as a franchise hopefully with Steve at the helm. This week was real leadership like this franchise hasn't seen since Ted Turner

This. Koonin isn't dumb and is surely connected and working with top civil rights leaders. Taking the meeting and giving these guys a stage could have done more harm than good in truly repairing the community

Makes me sick. Go away Michael

This is likely where Koonin is getting discipline recommendations from, and he said he exceeded the recommendations. It may not be a popular opinion but these guys know the results of the investigation and the rest of the media/populous only know what we know from Gearon's obviously slanted "leaked" memo now. That idiot is willing to bring down our whole franchise for personal gain

Yeah the Hawks are obviously going to have this meeting. Who knows just how insane it is in their world, and I am sure they are meeting with lawyers and investigators and PR teams and what not. It really is ridiculous that they made a scene out of today...make a scene if the Hawks won't meet with you at all. The meeting wasnt CANCELED, it was POSTPONED. They are using this for their own publicity

No chance. It's obvious Ferry didn't know he was being recorded. He should sue the shit out of Gearon. Did Gearon disclose at the start of the call that it was being recorded? Certainly doesn't seem like it. That to me seems like wire tapping?

Disagree. Koonin went off the investigation report of independent law firm, so I think he felt confident in what the story was. Watching the Ryan Cameron interview was tough having known the guy a little bit. Its obvious he is leading here with his heart and that the actions of these buffoons are taking a serious toll on him and his "boyhood dream"

After this, they're all toast except for Koonin. This article honestly disgusts me that Gearon would put the franchise in jeopardy like that. Koonin wasn't a part of ASG and just technically started at the start of this league year. He is Silver's boy...he built NBA on TNT and Inside the NBA, and also managed the Coke/NBA relationship. Silver has had high praise for him and there is no way he can hold him accountable for any of this. I hope Bruce sells, they ban Gearon for life, and have the new owner partner with Koonin to keep building on the franchise plans that Koonin had already started down the path of