Washington-based Hawks co-owners Ed Peskowitz and Todd Foreman were in attendance for Saturday night’s game against the Knicks. It was the first time the two have attended a game, albeit early in the season, since the news broke this summer that their partner Bruce Levenson agreed to sell his interest in the team. The two have joined Levenson in selling their combined stake, making at least 50.1 percent of the franchise available.
Both declined comment when approached by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Peskowitz and Foreman each spoke to Dominique Wilkins. The Hawks legend has spoken out against the comments made by Levenson and has made it known he wants to protect the Hawks brand from the controversy.
Levenson announced his intention to sell following the discovery of an e-mail that contained racist comments about, in part, the makeup of the Hawks fan base and basketball operations. The email from 2012 was discovered as part of an investigation into racially insensitive comments general manager Danny Ferry made about free-agent target Luol Deng during a June conference call with ownership and management. Ferry is on an indefinite leave of absence.
The sale of the franchise continues to drag on. The ownership groups, including those based in Atlanta and New York, have yet to determine exactly how much of the franchise is available. Levenson, who owns 24 percent individually, and his partners can make as much as 60 percent of the franchise available if they desire, according to the partnership agreement.
The Hawks media guide still lists Levenson and Michael Gearon Jr. as managing partners. Also listed as co-owners are Michael Gearon Sr., Rutherford Seydel and Beau Turner.
