On the heels of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s forced exile from the NBA for making racist comments, another NBA team owner is giving up his stake in a team after a racially insensitive email regarding the team’s fan base was made public.
Atlanta Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson self-reported the existence of the email – in which he wrote that he believed black Hawks fans attending games were scaring away affluent white fans – to league officials, reports The Daily Beast. But Levenson may just be the first NBA owner to have comments made over email come to light. As Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann notes, as the lawsuit filed by Sterling’s against the league makes its way through court, other incriminating statements by league owners may come to light through the legal process of discovery.
What is discovery, and how might it expose the conversations between league owners and officials? Here are three things to consider:
In a statement regarding Bruce Levenson’s email, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said, “We will be working with the Hawks ownership group on the appropriate process for the sale of the team.” Silver also noted that the NBA has instituted mandatory anti-discrimination training for all league personnel.
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Related Resources:
- A racial remark led to Hawks probe and CEO giving up NBA team (CNN)
- Donald Sterling Battles Wife Over Clippers Sale: 5 Things to Know (FindLaw’s Tarnished Twenty)
- Donald Sterling Files Response, Vows to Fight NBA ‘To The Bloody End’ (FindLaw’s Courtside)
- NBA’s Kevin Garnett Sued by Malibu Neighbor Over Tree Dispute (FindLaw’s Tarnished Twenty)
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