NBA News Blog – Page 1218 – NBA Blog

Open letter from Atlanta Hawks to their fans

The following is an open letter the Atlanta Hawks published to their fans:

To Our Hawks Fans,

Today it was reported that our current owners, Atlanta Spirit LLC, signed an agreement to sell a majority ownership stake in the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena operating rights to The Meruelo Group. Completion of the sale is subject to approval by the NBA Board of Governors, which is expected to occur later this year.

Our ultimate goal has always been and will continue to be bringing championship basketball and world class entertainment to Philips Arena and the city of Atlanta. We value and appreciate your support, and look forward to sharing many more unforgettable moments with you, our fans.

Sincerely,

Bob Williams

Bob Williams
President, Atlanta Hawks & Philips Arena

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Atlanta Hawks will be sold, but not moved

ESPN reports:

The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena will be sold to California developer and pizza chain owner Alex Meruelo, but the NBA team will remain in Atlanta, a person familiar with the deal said Sunday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because no official announcement has been made. The deal, subject to the approval of the NBA, is to be announced on Monday.

Meruelo confirmed the deal to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, saying “I’m a person who doesn’t give up. I want to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta.”

The Hawks ownership group, led by Michael Gearon Jr. and Bruce Levenson, also recently sold the NHL Atlanta Thrashers to a group that has moved the team to Winnipeg. The Thrashers deal was for a reported $170 million.

Meruelo would become the first Hispanic owner of an NBA team, according to the Journal-Constitution. He will have controlling interest of more than 50 percent of the Hawks. He founded La Pizza Loca, which has more than 50 franchised and company-owned restaurants in Southern California.

Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Meruelo (pronounced mur-rel-o) said some members of the Spirit group will maintain minority ownership positions but that he will own more than 50 percent and control ownership decisions. He would not be more specific about the size of his stake and would not divulge the price he has agreed to pay for it.

But he said, “I will be in complete control of the team.”

Although his primary residence and business will remain in Southern California,

Meruelo said he plans to spend a lot of time in Atlanta and to buy a home here.

“If you look at my previous … business ventures, I’m very hands-on, and this will be no different,” he said.

Asked if there is any scenario in which he would seek to move the Hawks out of Atlanta, Meruelo said: “Absolutely no. None.”

More from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The Atlanta Spirit Group – initially led by Steve Belkin of Boston, Bruce Levenson and Ed Peskowitz of Washington and Michael Gearon Jr. of Atlanta –- bought the Hawks, Thrashers and Philips Arena rights from Time Warner in 2004. The group soon became mired in a bitter internal fight that pitted Belkin against his partners. A five-year legal battle finally ended in December when the estranged Belkin was bought out by his partners.

The Spirit this summer sold the Thrashers to a Canadian group that moved the team to Winnipeg.

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Turkish team not signing Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur

Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune reports:

Utah Jazz center Memo Okur will not sign with Fenerbahce Ulker, an Istanbul-based professional club in his native Turkey.

The team’s general manager denied reports Saturday that his club was pursuing Okur.

Aydin Ors told Salsabasket.net, a basketball website in Turkey, that Fenerbahce Ulker wasn’t planning to sign any new players.

Hours earlier, website MixBasket reported that Fenerbahce Ulker and Okur were negotiating a one-year contract, which would have included an opt-out clause in case the NBA lockout is settled.

Video: Magic Johnson likes Larry Bird. Not then, but now

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird weren’t friends in their playing days. Sure, they respected each other — the same way you might respect a tornado flying towards your home and loved ones — but there was a friendly competitive hatred there.

These days, though, with their playing days long behind them, the memories remain, but feelings of dislike have been left in the past.

Here’s a video clip of Magic Johnson, at a Los Angeles Times-related event, talking about liking Larry Bird:

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Tyson Chandler takes big loss on Chicago-area home sale

The Chicago Tribune reports:

Former Chicago Bulls center Tyson Chandler who was part of this year’s NBA title-winning Dallas Mavericks team, has taken a huge loss on his 20-room, brick-and-limestone mansion in north suburban Northfield, selling it for $2.1 million.

The 7-foot-1 Chandler, 28, took one of the biggest housing losses of any area celebrity in recent years, selling his mansion for slightly more than half of what he paid for it in mid-2006. As the Red Eye newspaper reported in September 2006, Chandler paid $4 million for the mansion — just weeks before he was traded to the New Orleans Hornets after five seasons with the Bulls.

Chandler first listed the three-story mansion in 2007 for $4.99 million, and over the years reduced his asking price many times. Its final asking price was $2.895 million.

Custom-built in 2004 and covering about 11,000 square feet, the six-bedroom mansion has six full baths, two half baths, three fireplaces, a two-story great room, custom travertine and walnut floors, chef’s kitchen with a large breakfast room, wine cellar, a home theater, an exercise room, spa, mudroom, four-car garage, and a first-floor master suite with a large onyx bath. The mansion is on a 0.91-acre parcel.

Chris Mullin impressed with new direction of Warriors

The AP reports:

Chris Mullin harbors no hard feelings toward the Golden State Warriors, and the Hall of Famer says he would go back to work for them under the new regime if the fit were right.

He’s not ruling that out, either. Mullin — set to be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next Friday night — counts new coach Mark Jackson among his close friends. He worked with assistant general manager Bob Myers when Myers was an agent and Mullin was Golden State’s executive vice president of basketball operations.

Jordan Hamilton switches agents

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated reports:

Denver rookie Jordan Hamilton didn’t even wait until he had signed his first contract to change agents. The former Texas swingman, who can’t sign his deal as the No. 26 pick until the lockout lifts, said Saturday that he had fired agent Arn Tellem recently and was looking for new representation. On Thursday, a source close to him said he has opted to go with Gregory Nunn, who recently opened the basketball division at Premier Sports.

Milwaukee Bucks second round pick Jon Leuer signs in Germany

Marc Stein of ESPN reports:

Milwaukee Bucks second-round pick Jon Leuer, selected 40th overall in the June draft from the Wisconsin Badgers, has signed a contract to play with Skyliners Frankfurt in Germany, according to his agent.

Agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.com on Friday that the deal includes an opt-out clause that will allow Leuer to make an immediate return to the NBA when the lockout ends.

Many foreign teams are insisting that players who don’t have existing contracts sign deals that commit them to stay abroad for the entire season. But Leuer is the second Bartelstein client to secure the opt-out provision, joining Boston Celtics second-rounder E’Twaun Moore, who recently signed a deal with Benetton Treviso in Italy.

Wizards forward Trevor Booker excited to play in Israel

Michael Lee of the Washington Post (blog) reports:

No one knows for sure when the next NBA season will begin, but Wizards forward Trevor Booker has already ensured that he will be playing professional basketball this fall. Booker signed a one-year deal on Thursday with Israeli Basketball League team Bnei HaSharon that has an opt-out clause that will allow him to return to the Wizards whenever the lockout ends.

Booker is the first member of the Wizards to sign with a team overseas since the lockout began on July 1. Booker’s agent, Andy Miller, said that Booker had been “getting an earful for about 40 days” about the possibility of playing overseas until the right deal came along with the team that plays in the top division of Israeli basketball. Wizards General Manager Ernie Grunfeld’s son, Dan, played for Bnei HaSharon last season.

Booker has traveled overseas to Turkey and Serbia and said he was “definitely open.” After speaking with his parents, Booker decided to take advantage of the opportunity. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“I’m real excited,” Booker said in a telephone interview on Thursday. “I get to play against some competition again. I think it will be a neat experience, so I’m definitely excited.”

Stan Van Gundy says Magic arena is like a ghost town during NBA lockout

Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel (blog) reports:

The lockout has essentially turned the Amway Center into a big, shiny office.

Some of the Magic communications and marketing people still work there during the day, and GM Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy also spend time there, along with their staffs. But without the players, it just feels… different.

“Every time I go into the office it sort of gets depressing because there’s nothing going on,” Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We’re used to have some number of guys in — depends on the day — but there’s always activity. … Now it’s like a ghost town in there. That part’s depressing. Certainly when you get to October, when training camp would be going, that’s when it will be really different.”

Van Gundy said his staff is still working like it normally would during the summer. The assistant coaches and video crew hold some meetings, talk about things they want to do differently, put together the playbook and plan out points of emphasis for when the season begins.