Steve Belkin's Intentions

[KB21]

Belkin Thrilled with the Ruling

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Insisting "this is not about money for me," Steve Belkin expressed delight Saturday about the latest turn of events in the Hawks' and Thrashers' yearlong ownership feud.

"I am very thrilled and happy with the prospects of owning and controlling the Hawks and Thrashers," Belkin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a telephone interview.

On Friday, a Maryland judge ruled that Belkin, the teams' estranged part-owner, is entitled to buy out the seven other owners at cost because they breached an agreement to buy him out. The other owners immediately vowed to appeal the ruling.

While Belkin, a Boston businessman, would not comment Saturday on any legal issues in the complex case, he broke his 10-month-long public silence to talk about the teams of which he could become sole owner.

Asked if, at this point, he'd rather buy out the other owners or get a huge price from them for his 30 percent stake, Belkin said:

"It's been my passion and dream for over 20 years to own and control an NBA franchise, and it's clearly still my dream and passion today to own the Hawks and Thrashers and to build championship-caliber teams. ... I absolutely want to own the teams, and this is not about money for me."

He added:

"I think

I

can build championship-caliber teams, and I think ... the

skills I will bring

and the Atlanta community will make a winning combination."

Friday's ruling marked a reversal of where the process stood last August, when Belkin, then embroiled in a bitter dispute with his partners over the Hawks' sign-and-trade deal for Phoenix Suns restricted free-agent guard Joe Johnson, agreed to sell his stake for a price to be set by a series of up to three appraisals.

"That was a difficult, sad day," Belkin said Saturday, referring to the day he agreed to sell.

Ten months later, Belkin stands to be a buyer rather than a seller of the teams unless Friday's ruling by Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson is overturned on appeal.

Two of the other owners, Bruce Levenson and Michael Gearon Jr., told Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena employees in an e-mail Friday night that there will be "no change" in the ownership governance or day-to-day operations during an appeals process that "could take an extended amount of time."

The owners other than Belkin could be required to post a bond to stay Friday's ruling during an appeals process.

The ownership crisis erupted last summer when Belkin attempted to block the Hawks' trade with the Suns for the high-priced Joe Johnson. Some of the other owners and Hawks general manager Billy Knight said at the time that Belkin wanted to operate the teams as cheaply as possible. Again Saturday, Belkin denied that characterization.

"Just to be clear on what my position was — I always was in favor of paying Joe Johnson the maximum contract, and I voted in favor of that at our Board of Managers meeting," Belkin said. "The thing I was against was, we didn't need to do a sign-and-trade and give away Boris Diaw and two first-round picks in addition. That was what the disagreement was over.

"I clearly always wanted to spend the money, and today I still want Joe Johnson on the Atlanta Hawks."

Knight said last summer that, although Belkin voted to offer the contract to Johnson, his opposition to the trade was designed to ensure that the Hawks didn't actually acquire the expensive player. Belkin insisted at the time — and still contends — that Phoenix probably wouldn't have matched the offer, allowing the Hawks to acquire the player without giving up Diaw and the draft picks.

"There's no evidence that I don't want to spend the money that is required to create championship-caliber teams," Belkin said Saturday. "Clearly, I am willing to spend money to create a championship-caliber team."

He might get a chance to prove that if Friday's ruling stands.

Since last August, Belkin has been estranged from the Hawks and Thrashers — still a member of the ownership group but a non-factor in decision-making and not required to help fund the teams' financial losses. He did not attend a game in Atlanta this season but said he "watched almost every game on TV, both the Hawks and the Thrashers."

In Friday's ruling, the judge found that the other owners breached last summer's buyout-of-Belkin agreement by refusing to jointly engage a third appraiser within five days of objecting to the results of a second appraisal in December, and by asking the NBA to not participate in the drawing of the name of a third appraiser from a hat. The judge also said that, based on earlier court rulings, the "very latest date" the other owners should have paid Belkin for his stake was May 8.

The judge said last summer's agreement was "abundantly clear" on the remedy for breaching it: the right for Belkin to buy rather than sell.

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Clearly, this is all about him. Notice how he says that "I" can build a championship team with the skills "I" bring. He's going to be a micromanaging owner that will hire a puppet (ML Carr) to be his GM. He then goes on and flat out lies about the Joe Johnson deal, because he knew damn well the Suns were going to match the offer. That was his sole intention. Make them match the offer so he doesn't have to pay, but it makes him look like he was willing to pay even though he knew he would never get him without a sign and trade deal.

This only highlights that this will be a long, drawn out process that will get a lot worse before it gets better. Belkin isn't going to sell, and I highly doubt the other owners will sell.

[tmac13]

Unless the other owners truely think they will be the eventual winners in court, they may decide to go ahead and sell now instead of being forced to fund another seasons losses just to be forced to sell at cost..Even if the try to fight it, they sure won't be inclined to spend any on free agents..

[KB21]

That's pretty much a given. The Hawks will very likely not be active in the free agency market this offseason. I think this also hampers their ability to pull off a sign-and-trade with Al Harrington.

It's possible that Gearon and Levenson tell Billy to go about his job as if it were business as usual and to do everything he would do if this situation wasn't present.

[gsuteke]

Quote:

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Belkin Thrilled with the Ruling

Quote:

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Insisting "this is not about money for me," Steve Belkin expressed delight Saturday about the latest turn of events in the Hawks' and Thrashers' yearlong ownership feud.

"I am very thrilled and happy with the prospects of owning and controlling the Hawks and Thrashers," Belkin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a telephone interview.

On Friday, a Maryland judge ruled that Belkin, the teams' estranged part-owner, is entitled to buy out the seven other owners at cost because they breached an agreement to buy him out. The other owners immediately vowed to appeal the ruling.

While Belkin, a Boston businessman, would not comment Saturday on any legal issues in the complex case, he broke his 10-month-long public silence to talk about the teams of which he could become sole owner.

Asked if, at this point, he'd rather buy out the other owners or get a huge price from them for his 30 percent stake, Belkin said:

"It's been my passion and dream for over 20 years to own and control an NBA franchise, and it's clearly still my dream and passion today to own the Hawks and Thrashers and to build championship-caliber teams. ... I absolutely want to own the teams, and this is not about money for me."

He added:

"I think

I

can build championship-caliber teams, and I think ... the

skills I will bring

and the Atlanta community will make a winning combination."

Friday's ruling marked a reversal of where the process stood last August, when Belkin, then embroiled in a bitter dispute with his partners over the Hawks' sign-and-trade deal for Phoenix Suns restricted free-agent guard Joe Johnson, agreed to sell his stake for a price to be set by a series of up to three appraisals.

"That was a difficult, sad day," Belkin said Saturday, referring to the day he agreed to sell.

Ten months later, Belkin stands to be a buyer rather than a seller of the teams unless Friday's ruling by Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson is overturned on appeal.

Two of the other owners, Bruce Levenson and Michael Gearon Jr., told Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena employees in an e-mail Friday night that there will be "no change" in the ownership governance or day-to-day operations during an appeals process that "could take an extended amount of time."

The owners other than Belkin could be required to post a bond to stay Friday's ruling during an appeals process.

The ownership crisis erupted last summer when Belkin attempted to block the Hawks' trade with the Suns for the high-priced Joe Johnson. Some of the other owners and Hawks general manager Billy Knight said at the time that Belkin wanted to operate the teams as cheaply as possible. Again Saturday, Belkin denied that characterization.

"Just to be clear on what my position was — I always was in favor of paying Joe Johnson the maximum contract, and I voted in favor of that at our Board of Managers meeting," Belkin said. "The thing I was against was, we didn't need to do a sign-and-trade and give away Boris Diaw and two first-round picks in addition. That was what the disagreement was over.

"I clearly always wanted to spend the money, and today I still want Joe Johnson on the Atlanta Hawks."

Knight said last summer that, although Belkin voted to offer the contract to Johnson, his opposition to the trade was designed to ensure that the Hawks didn't actually acquire the expensive player. Belkin insisted at the time — and still contends — that Phoenix probably wouldn't have matched the offer, allowing the Hawks to acquire the player without giving up Diaw and the draft picks.

"There's no evidence that I don't want to spend the money that is required to create championship-caliber teams," Belkin said Saturday. "Clearly, I am willing to spend money to create a championship-caliber team."

He might get a chance to prove that if Friday's ruling stands.

Since last August, Belkin has been estranged from the Hawks and Thrashers — still a member of the ownership group but a non-factor in decision-making and not required to help fund the teams' financial losses. He did not attend a game in Atlanta this season but said he "watched almost every game on TV, both the Hawks and the Thrashers."

In Friday's ruling, the judge found that the other owners breached last summer's buyout-of-Belkin agreement by refusing to jointly engage a third appraiser within five days of objecting to the results of a second appraisal in December, and by asking the NBA to not participate in the drawing of the name of a third appraiser from a hat. The judge also said that, based on earlier court rulings, the "very latest date" the other owners should have paid Belkin for his stake was May 8.

The judge said last summer's agreement was "abundantly clear" on the remedy for breaching it: the right for Belkin to buy rather than sell.

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Clearly, this is all about him. Notice how he says that "I" can build a championship team with the skills "I" bring. He's going to be a micromanaging owner that will hire a puppet (ML Carr) to be his GM. He then goes on and flat out lies about the Joe Johnson deal, because he knew damn well the Suns were going to match the offer. That was his sole intention. Make them match the offer so he doesn't have to pay, but it makes him look like he was willing to pay even though he knew he would never get him without a sign and trade deal.

This only highlights that this will be a long, drawn out process that will get a lot worse before it gets better. Belkin isn't going to sell, and I highly doubt the other owners will sell.

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there is nothing negative to take out of that article.

that just shows your bias twisting the words around as they move through your cerebellum.

[KB21]

It is negative. You are just too stupid to realize it.

[tmac13]

I agree..I don't see anything wrong with what he said..As far as what BK said..

"Knight said last summer that, although Belkin voted to offer the contract to Johnson, his opposition to the trade was designed to ensure that the Hawks didn't actually acquire the expensive player. Belkin insisted at the time — and still contends — that Phoenix probably wouldn't have matched the offer, allowing the Hawks to acquire the player without giving up Diaw and the draft picks."

We know BK has a very high opinion of himself..I am sure that if someone dared to disagree with him he would not take it lightly.

[emeans]

I second that...I don't see anything wrong with what he said. Some of the guys on here are so biased especially KB and Belkin is not a bad as some people on this forum make him out to be.

I personally think Belkin was right in disagreement in giving up so much for JJ. He was willing to pay the maximum to JJ, however giving up 2 1st and Boris was too much and I sure we could have gotten him for less. As much as people don't want to admit it he was right in his stance.

And to show you how much more smarter he is over the other owners he is holding their balls in his hands right now. He is much smarter than all of those other owners and the proof is in the pudding!!

[Seano]

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As much as people don't want to admit it he was right in his stance.

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Well, we don't know that for certain. There's no way that any of us could know whether Phoenix would have matched or not. Obviously Billy Knight and the other partners felt otherwise, and thus the trade.

The only people who really know whether or not Phoenix would have matched are the higher ups in the Suns organization- and they ain't saying.

[KB21]

We didn't give up too much to get Joe Johnson. We gave up the 21st pick in this draft, a future first round pick, and Boris Diaw. The 21st pick in this draft would net us a reserve player. Boris Diaw was NEVER GOING TO DO A DAMN THING IN ATLANTA! We don't know what next year's pick will be, but even if it is a lottery pick, we did not give up too much to get a star player like Joe Johnson.

[Seano]

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we did not give up too much to get a star player like Joe Johnson.

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I agree. I'm not worried in the least about the Joe Johnson trade. The bottom-line is that we did what we had to do to make *certain* that we got him, and I'm glad that he's here.

However, if we tank this year and end up giving Phoenix a lottery pick next season, then you will hear a lot of complaining and even more second guessing.

But not from me.

[Final_quest]

He could have been untruthful, but I thought Colangelo said he would have matched the offer sheet to JJ. Wasn't there a story about this after he got to Toronto?

[Teeareess]

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It is negative. You are just too stupid to realize it.

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When we start resorting to insults, I start to wonder about the intelligence level of this board.

[tmac13]

He wasn't going to say they had no intention of matching and make the Hawks look foolish...Noone will ever know the truth on that one.

[KB21]

Complaining and second guessing from the fans doesn't matter. Fans have as much right to complain and second guess as I do of telling NASA how to fly their space shuttles.

[KB21]

The intelligence level of this board went down when all the Billy Knight bashing started.

[tmac13]

Fans have EVERY right to complain and 2nd guess..We pay the bills in one way or another..Where are you from, Russia?

[KB21]

It's the equivalent of you trying to tell me how to treat my patients.

[tmac13]

I feel sorry for your patients if you act the same way to them that you act here..You are obviously oblivious to how things work in sports or the real world for that matter..Sports teams operate on a public stage depending completely on fans for their income either directly or indirectly..The paying customer ALWAYS has a right to voice their opinion..If you don't understand that then you are even more ignorant than you accuse everyone else of being..

[KB21]

I treat people the way they deserve to be treated.

[WraithSentinel]

I have been bashing Belkin. I cannot take anything negative away from this article. The point that Belkin has beat the owners at every turn. I think there is a good chance he will become the sole owner of the Hawks.