Hawks CEO Steve Koonin writes an open letter to fans and the city of Atlanta . It follows news of controversial remarks from Hawks owner and general manager . Today , Atlanta is led by a black mayor in Kasim Reed and its population is 54 % African-American , according to the U.S. Census Bureau . The team has been criticized for its handling of a racially charged incident involving former player Jason Collins that occurred in late October at Philips Arena. `` We should build bridges through basketball , not divide our community , '' he says .
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin writes an open letter to fans and the city of Atlanta . It follows news of controversial remarks from Hawks owner and general manager . The team has been criticized for its handling of a racially charged incident involving former player Jason Collins that occurred in late October at Philips Arena. `` We should build bridges through basketball , not divide our community , '' he says .