Ci risiamo, mentre in Italia viene eletto presidente della FIGC chi si diverte con le battute razziste la NBA ne farà fuori il secondo in pochi mesi. Dopo la lunghissima vicenda Sterling della quale conoscerete ormai ogni minimo dettaglio, Adam Silver “colpisce” un altro. Tramite Twitter la NBA ha appena fatto sapere che Bruce Levenson, proprietario degli Atlanta Hawks, sarà costretto a vendere la franchigia. Il motivo? Adam Silver e la NBA hanno ritrovato una mail del 2012 a sfondo razzista scritta ed inviata proprio da colui che sarà ancora per poco il proprietario degli Hawks.
Il nuovo commissioner della lega si è dimostrato ancora una volta irremovibile su episodi del genere ed ha riportato il suo punto di vista nonchè la sequenza dei fatti in un comunicato pubblicato su Twitter.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson: pic.twitter.com/H91NSEqf6t
— NBA (@NBA) 7 Settembre 2014
Tempestivo il comunicato di Bruce Levenson che ha chiesto scusa, ma ha confermato che non opporrà resistenza e venderà la franchigia che ora è momentaneamente delle mani del CEO Steve Koonin.
“Over the past several years, I’ve spent a lot of time grappling with low attendance at our games and the need for the Hawks to attract more season ticket holders and corporate sponsors. Over that time, I’ve talked with team executives about the need for the Hawks to build a more diverse fan base that includes more suburban whites, and I shared my thoughts on why our efforts to bridge Atlanta’s racial sports divide seemed to be failing. In trying to address those issues, I wrote an e-mail two years ago that was inappropriate and offensive. I trivialized our fans by making clichéd assumptions about their interests (i.e. hip hop vs. country, white vs. black cheerleaders, etc.) and by stereotyping their perceptions of one another (i.e. that white fans might be afraid of our black fans). By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans. If you’re angry about what I wrote, you should be. I’m angry at myself, too. It was inflammatory nonsense. We all may have subtle biases and preconceptions when it comes to race, but my role as a leader is to challenge them, not to validate or accommodate those who might hold them. I have said repeatedly that the NBA should have zero tolerance for racism, and I strongly believe that to be true. That is why I voluntarily reported my inappropriate e-mail to the NBA. After much long and difficult contemplation, I have decided that it is in the best interests of the team, the Atlanta community, and the NBA to sell my controlling interest in the Hawks franchise. Hawks CEO Steve Koonin will oversee all team operations and take all organizational reports as we proceed with the sale process. I’m truly embarrassed by my words in that e-mail, and I apologize to the members of the Hawks family and all of our fans. To the Hawks family and its fans, you have my deepest gratitude for the past ten years. Working with this team and its extraordinary executives, coaching staff, and players has been one of the highlights of my life. I am proud of our diverse, passionate, and growing legion of Hawks fans, and I will continue to join you in cheering for the best team in the NBA.”
