If it weren’t for all the scandals in the NFL, the story involving the Atlanta Hawks would be a bigger headline, like the incident involving former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Like Sterling, there have been multiple racially insensitive remarks made by those in the organization, from the owner in an e-mail to the general manager in a conference call.
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New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony says the comments made by owner Bruce Levenson and general manager Danny Ferry will discourage anyone from playing there.
“[There] ain’t nobody [who] would want to go there,” Anthony said, via ESPN. “At the end of the day, Atlanta, I think it puts Atlanta back even further now, from that standpoint.”
Where as the removal of Don Sterling seemed to alleviate those same kind of sentiments about the Clippers, this doesn’t look like one older gentleman going off his rocker, but an institutional problem. While Levenson is selling the team, Ferry has taken an indefinite leave of absence.
“Atlanta is a great city, a great market, great people, great atmosphere,” Anthony said. “But as far as the comments [that] were made, I think it was uncalled for. From an owner, from a GM, those are not things you play with…. I’m speaking on behalf of all athletes. We would never look at a situation like that, I don’t care what it is.”