The Atlanta Sports Council will honor Hawks CEO Steve Koonin with its Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the annual Atlanta Sports Awards, which will be presented virtually next month.

Koonin, a lifelong resident of Atlanta, joined the Hawks in 2014 after holding executive positions at Turner Entertainment Networks and Coca-Cola.

The Sports Council said that under Koonin’s leadership the Hawks “have transformed their brand, building and presence in Atlanta.”

“Steve’s decisions have positively impacted the city’s sports community and placed the Hawks as community leaders of Atlanta professional sports,” Sports Council president Dan Corso said in a statement. “His dedication and involvement in the community, as well as his commitment to his team, make him the embodiment of the Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Other winners of 2020 Atlanta Sports Awards will be announced throughout the first two weeks of August, leading to a one-hour TV show set to air Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. on 11Alive (WXIA). A traditional in-person event won’t be held this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Recent winners of the Sports Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Dikembe Mutombo (2019), John Schuerholz (2018) and Arthur Blank (2017).

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