Judge rules Belkin can buy out ownership group

[Fenix]

Judge rules Belkin can buy out ownership group
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ATLANTA,
June 9 — Steve Belkin has the right to take over the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers from his former co-owners, a Maryland judge ruled Friday.

The Boston-based Belkin is entitled to buy out the Atlanta Spirit LLC group for the Hawks, Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena, Montgomery County (Md.) Circuit Court Judge Eric Johnson ruled. But the current ownership said in a statement released by Atlanta Spirit spokesman Tom Hughes that the decision would be appealed.

''We have just received the court's 23-page decision,'' said the statement, attributed to the ownership group but no individual owner. ''The decision is wrong, both on the law and on the fact. We will review our options with our legal counsel but we expect that the decision will be overturned on appeal.''

Belkin was forced out of the ownership group following a bitter and public dispute over the Hawks' decision to trade Boris Diaw, two first-round draft picks and a $4.9 million trade exception to the Phoenix Suns for Joe Johnson.

Eric Johnson ruled the teams' seven other owners didn't abide by the terms of an agreement to buy out Belkin. Johnson said the group's actions triggered Belkin's right to buy them out.

The ownership group, led by Washington businessmen Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz and Atlantans Michael Gearon Jr. and Rutherford Seydel, had the support of NBA commissioner David Stern in forcing Belkin out and selecting Gearon to replace Belkin as the NBA governor in the group.

In an e-mail to Atlanta Spirit LLC staffers obtained by The Associated Press Friday night, Gearon and Levenson promised business would continue as normal.

In the e-mail, Gearon and Levenson called the judge's ruling ''disappointing.''
''Along with our legal counsel, we remain convinced that it will be overturned on appeal, which could take an extended amount of time,'' Levenson and Gearon wrote.

''In the interim, there will be no change in the governance of the partnership or day-to-day operations of the Atlanta Spirit.''

Belkin was the only owner who didn't support Hawks general manager Billy Knight in the deal for Joe Johnson. Belkin contented the Hawks were giving up too much for the guard, who signed a five-year deal with Atlanta worth about $70 million.
Diaw, a neglected backup in Atlanta, became a productive starter for the Suns. Johnson led Atlanta with 20.2 points and 6.5 assists per game.

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusspt/...vts=6920061937

Wow. Some folks are going to get fired. So that means a big no-no to drafting new SFs.

[Andrew]

No matter who wins this dispute, it can't be doing anything for the morale of the players or the team's effort to attract free agents.

[Axel]

I don't think it really matters. Free agents were never likely to come to Atlanta in the first place. They will continue to suck again next year.

[Mayerhendrix]

Atlanta's the NBA's training grounds. Underrated players with potential come in, become highly coveted free-agents, and run when a good deal is flashed in front of their face.

[Jugs]

I thought that was the Clippers' job..

[Andrew]

It was, but with the Clippers' rise it's become the Hawks' stigma.

[Fenix]

"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."

http://www.ajc.com/sunday/content/epaper/editions/sunday/sports_44b8dbd947e9214d1080.html

He said the same thing a year ago, when the whole incident occured. And I said the same thing as I will say now - I wholeheartedly agree with him. That sign&trade was stupid. Everyone knew that Phoenix won't match it, but yet they still offered two 1st round picks and a young talent who could have been used in a later trade. Billy Knight is a lousy GM and a lousy talent evaluator. Sure, he did good with signing JJ, but he gave up too much for him. Marvin Williams hasn't showed anything yet, not to mention that they have two players playing the same position he is projected at - SF. Hawk's fans have illusion that Josh Smith is willing to play PF, but let's face it - how many natural SFs are out there waiting to bang with the big boys? Shawn Marion constantly cries, AK47 said that he prefers SF and it's bound to happen with JS. Josh Childress was a so-so pick back then and is a bit of a bust as of now - a tweener who is struggling to contribute on any side of the court. You could have gotten Iggy with that pick, which would be a much more logical choice, not to mention that you could have had Paul instead of Marvin Williams.

[shadowgrin]

"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."

That statement may make Belkin appear as a good guy to Atlanta fans (if there are fans), as opposed to his negative image last year. After seeing Diaw perform with Phoenix more fans might be inclined to side with Belkin's version of the story.