This could be the kind of public relations win the Atlanta Hawks need right now, although as always the question really comes down to the money.
Hawks legendary player and current broadcaster Dominique Wilkins has found a wealthy partner and is looking to get in on buying the Hawks, according to TMZ.Multiple NBA sources tell us ... Dominique is “extremely interested” in becoming the next owner of the Hawks -- and has already been pre-approved for ownership by the NBA.
We’re told Wilkins -- who has amassed his own small fortune over the years -- has partnered up with a “very well-known businessman” who believes Wilkins would be the best person to lead the Hawks back to NBA glory.
The Hawks are available because when an investigation into racist issues around the Hawks found a questionable 2012 email from majority owner Bruce Levenson, he used that as the reason to cash out (Levenson tried once before to sell his shares in 2011).
There is a long line of people whose name seems to end with “billionaire” who also are lined up for the franchise. Wilkins is going to have a lot of competition and regardless of the PR win this might be the sale is going to go to whomever offers the most cold hard cash. This is a bottom line business.
By the way, if your dream is someone buying the Hawks and moving them to your city, this is not the team (sorry Seattle). The Hawks have a number of powerful minority owners who would fight this. Bigger than that, the NBA is not going to allow a team to move out of the ninth largest television market in the nation, the largest city in the South, and the city that is home to a television partner (Turner) about to pay nearly $1 billion a year to broadcast the league.