I’ve already mentioned the story on ESPN about Atlanta Hawks Governor Steve Belkin, who has apparently way too much power at Philips Arena and is using that power for the greater evil… Now it’s all becoming a shade farsical with a power struggle that’s going to court! And not even the hardwood type…
As the Atlanta Hawks’ feuding and far-flung owners convened here for today’s battle in court, general manager Billy Knight lashed out at part owner Steve Belkin.
Breaking his silence on the issue, Knight said Monday that Belkin’s opposition to a pending trade for Phoenix Suns guard Joe Johnson is “a ploy” to hold the team’s payroll to “a bare minimum.” Knight added: “If he is saying anything different from that, he is not telling the truth.”
In an indication of the ever-escalating conflict within the Hawks organization, the general manager told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I really don’t have anything to say to the guy. There’s no reason for us to engage in conversations, no matter how this plays out. He’s not someone I can trust.”
Knight said he planned to be in the courtroom today when a Boston judge considers Belkin’s request for a preliminary injunction to stop his co-owners from removing him as the Hawks’ NBA governor – the position he has used to block the trade Knight and the other owners want to make.
So basically, Belkin wants to hold on to the draft picks and keep the payroll at a minimum, so he wants to create, in essence, a losing side… It’s no secret that attendances have been as poor as the team on the court, but now it looks like he’s wanting them to tank for a reason…
Could that reason be the lure of Las Vegas?