New Belkin Article

[NickJYD]

Belkin wont say why he wont sign off.......

Hawks mum on delay for Johnson deal

Co-owner Belkin hasn't given approval for trade

By SEKOU SMITH, TIM TUCKER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 08/03/05

The Hawks are still in Joe Johnson limbo, two days after a league-wide moratorium on signing free agents was lifted.

When business ended Wednesday the proposed sign-and-trade deal between the Hawks and Phoenix Suns wasn't completed, the process still being held up by Hawks part owner and NBA Governor Steve Belkin.

Belkin has yet to sign off on the deal agreed upon by the rest of the Hawks ownership and management and the Phoenix ownership group and management team.

The Boston-based Belkin remained mum on the matter Wednesday.

"Sorry, but I am not giving any comments at this time," he said in a late-morning e-mail. Asked again in late afternoon to address the situation, Belkin responded by e-mail: "I have now been informed the league has requested we make no comment and direct any inquiries to them. Sorry."

Calls to the NBA office were not returned Wednesday. Hawks part owners Bruce Levenson and Michael Gearon Jr. declined to comment on the situation.

That wasn't the case in Phoenix Wednesday, where the Suns' brass turned out for an introductory press conference to introduce the man who could eventually replace Johnson in their lineup, free agent guard Raja Bell.

"There are some limitations about the circumstances that we can't talk about," Phoenix president Bryan Colangelo said. "Atlanta is hopeful of resolving their internal issues by the weekend. That's all I can say."

The Suns made it clear Thursday that they'll either trade Johnson or match any offer sheet he signs, forcing the Hawks to either consummate the deal or risk losing Johnson altogether.

"They have their own hiccup," Colangelo said. "We're continuing to move forward with our business."

This is not the first time the Hawks' ownership situation has drawn league attention. In late April, NBA commissioner David Stern and a league committee met with three of the Hawks' owners — Belkin, Levenson and Gearon Jr. — to discuss discord within the partnership.

"They (the league) just said, 'Hey, you guys, work it out,'" Belkin said after the April meeting.

He also confirmed at the time there had been discussions about whether any of the Hawks-Thrashers owners would like to sell their stakes. Belkin asked the Atlanta- and Washington-based members of the group if they would like to sell to him; they said no and asked if Belkin would like to sell to them. He said no.

Belkin holds a 30 percent stake in the Atlanta Spirit LLC ownership group, while the Washington-based partners — principally Levenson and Ed Peskowitz — own 40 percent and the Atlanta-based partners — led by Gearon and Rutherford Seydel — own 30 percent.

The Hawks did receive a signed offer sheet Wednesday from Milwaukee restricted free agent center Zaza Pachulia. The Bucks have seven days to either match the offer or lose Pachulia to the Hawks.

[Spiral]

This article really doesn't ease my feelings about this whole thing.

[mrhonline]

Does Belkin have to sign off on the deal? Can the other owners overrule him?

I would love to know...

[Plainview1981]

Already hate that b@stard. Why don't he just sell

his share? Don't need no Boston Celtic fan as an

owner anyway.

[swolehawk2]

Belkin is trying to make some money....not spend it....and to hell with the Hawks winning and its fans.

Overreacting my ass.

[tmac13]

Why don't the other owners who control 70 percent select one guy to be managing partner?

[mrhonline]

And it should be either Gearon or Seydel because they are in Atlanta IMO.

[sick_five]

There it is in black and white. Belkin is the problem. Whether the deal goes through or not, this J@ck@ass has just seriously hurt our franchise. Please leave Belkin, and go back to Boston.

[Plainview1981]

The deal is probably all but dead. The other guys

shouldn't have went into this thing with this

"business man" anyway. He is a fake and a liar

that could have let his intentions be known

sooner.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

"This is not the first time the Hawks' ownership situation has drawn league attention. In late April,

NBA commissioner David Stern and a league committee met with three of the Hawks' owners — Belkin, Levenson and Gearon Jr. — to discuss discord within the partnership.

"They (the league) just said, 'Hey, you guys, work it out,'" Belkin said after the April meeting.

---

Not only is it personal but purchasing the team took months. These guys not only don't get along, they are in the middle of another crisis about team ownership. Honestly, for Belkin to wait until the 11th hour to refuse to sign on a deal may represent an embarrasing personal attack on fellow owners. Very well could be Belkin timed this to force an ownership shake-up. The ol' Peanuts, "Lucy remove the ball at the last second to make Charlie Brown look bad" maneuver. Then CB doesn't want to play ball anymore. Just my take. Speculation it may be, but this is bigger than the BK visionaries and others realize.

W

Quote:

---

"He also confirmed at the time there had been discussions about whether any of the Hawks-Thrashers owners would like to sell their stakes. Belkin asked the Atlanta- and Washington-based members of the group if they would like to sell to him; they said no and asked if Belkin would like to sell to them. He said no."

---

[falc82]

Wow..after reading that article it really destorys a little hope for the Hawks. This owner is a serious jackass, and could undermine any growth by the Hawks as a team. It seems as if the Hawks are ran by a bunch of attention seeking bickering children. Great image of our franchise to the rest of the league..

[Inside_Man]

Well - this morning the board was in two camps - those who said the problem was serious (diesel, moi, and others) and those who said it was just about missing signatures.

It'a now clear that the issue is serious.

I remember when Spirit bought the team that Belkin was going to make the hoops decisions. So clearly, he's going to enforce that part of the agreement. The problem is it looks like he's being outvoted by 70% to 30%.

A black eye for Atlanta sports.

fwiw - when Belkin earlier tried to buy into the NBA he was rebuffed because he had ties to organized crime interests in Boston (I'm from Boston, fwiw.) That's why he was earlier rejected as an owner by the league. Eventually, he restructured his businesses to (seemingly) cut those ties.

[Guest Walter]

Belkin cites the league as having a gag order not allowing him to discuss the issue. This isn't just between Belkin and other owners or within Belkin himself. This is now a part of the league and the league is according to Belkin imposing its will. Complicated, dirty politics are going on. That's the only reason for the league to shut everyone up. Like purchasing the team was no simple matter with these guys, seperating or resolving this conflict in time to salvage this deal will take time, effort, and luck if it is to ever get done.

W

[tmac13]

Some cities get Mark Cuban, some get the Maloof brothers, and we get this group of idiots.

[GST]

Inside man, I saw that on the 'net earlier today. When he was was trying to buy the Celtics in 1983, one of his business associates had been charged with kidnapping, among other things. He backed out of that deal, evidently because of the bad publicity. I wonder why Stern ever let him back in?

[troubleman]

Yeah, the league has probably stepped in because this is not the first incident involving this ownership group. It is obvious that there are internal problems, and the league probably feels that it needs to step in to help resolve the issue. The NBA is probably trying to avoid a "media war" within the ownership. I have mixed feelings on the JJ deal anyway, but to have one owner (who I wasn't happy with anyway) hold up the deal is inexcusable.

[NickJYD]

Maybe the league is trying to help us save face. Our ownership had a month to get their act together and they cant even make a decision. If Belkin comes out and says he doesnt approive of the deal, it only makes us look worse, it only makes Joe not want to come here more, and it continues to make us look like a joke of a franchise that cant even make a decision after a month of talking about it. I hate to say it, but Chad Ford was right. We obviously cant run a bball team with 45 owners. Furthermore, you think we are pissed now...think about BK. He has had his feet cut right out from under him. This is a joke. I hate frickin owners who think they know how to make personel decisions. Let BK do his job. If hes been in ATL 5 years and we still suck and have no future, then fire him, but dont take his legs out when he makes a deal!! Best case scenario is we buy out Belkin in the next year, because its obvious that he isnt helping.

[mrhonline]

I couldn't care less who "called this correctly," because all of you were just speculating anyway.

What matters is that regardless of what happens to the JJ deal, the Hawks have serious internal issues. That has to change before the Knight can have any chance to transform the roster.

I'm seriously bummed.

[Guest Walter]

to get Belkin to sell. He's got his heels dug in it appears and without the league making it happen I don't think he will without overpayment. Regardless, this is gonna take a long time. I fear longer than JJ or PHE has to wait.

W

[NickJYD]

Exactly. One thing we are all missing here is that ownership is not allowing the GM to do his job. BK was told he can do as he likes, but this idiot Belkin, who juding by the looks of him was never a good basketball player, thinks he knows how to judge NBA talent and has now cut BK's legs out from under him and made him look like an idiot. If Im BK, Im totally pissed off right now.