Belkin Sues Hawks Partners

[MavsFanFinley]

Belkin Sues Hawks Partners

4th August, 2005 - 11:04 pm

Atlanta Journal-Constitution - The bitter battle within the Atlanta Hawks ' ownership group escalated Thursday when one of the owners took his partners to court and got a restraining order against them.

The order, sought by Steve Belkin in a Boston court, temporarily prohibits the majority of the Hawks' owners from removing him as the team's NBA governor — a position Belkin has used this week to block a trade his partners want to make with the Phoenix Suns for guard Joe Johnson.

Thursday's legal salvo is the latest setback for a troubled franchise that has struggled for years to win games, fans and credibility.

The Boston-based Belkin filed the lawsuit against his partners after they called a meeting for Friday to vote on removing him as the Hawks' governor.

One of Belkin's partners, Atlanta businessman Michael Gearon Jr., responded to the court action: "We are aware of the lawsuit filed by Steve Belkin in Boston. We will not allow that to deter us from building a winning team in Atlanta."

In an e-mail to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Belkin wrote: "Some of my fellow co-owners took action to prevent me from doing what I believe is in the best interests of the franchise, consistent with my role as NBA governor. There was no option but to seek legal protection."

[kg_veteran]

That's really pathetic.

[Drbio]

If the other owners are running a power play on Belkin though and he feels that Joe Johnson isn't the answer, then what else could he do? That franchise is the NBA laughing stock. If I lived in Atlanta, I wouldn't pay to go their games.

[kg_veteran]

Yeah, but Joe Johnson or not wouldn't change that.

Re: the power play, it's just pathetic because obviously the dude is just trying to stave off the inevitable.

[GP]

This franchise is an absolute joke. They have never had any fans since I can remember even when Dominique played.

This ownership structure is an absolute joke. 2 groups have 30% and one group has 40%. Goofy!!!!

Frankly, Johnson is a crazy idiot for wanting to sign in Atlanta in the first place. Atlanta is crazy for wanting to sign him to those kind of dollars as well. There is a reason that Phoenix only won 26 games the year prior to Nash's arrival. It had a team full of selfish airheads. Those airheads had as much talent as anyone. Marbury, JJ, Marion, & Stoudemire. Atlanta will be no different. They should be building around Josh Smith who is a wonderful, wonderful young player. Instead they are signing someone else to be the man even though they have plenty of talent at the swing positions. Their need is that they have absolutely no interior players. None.

[snoop]

the hawks are so spare. they have no leadership or direction. I remember the big dog year where they had to refund money to season ticket holders because they didnt make the playoffs.