Hawks GM made insensitive joke about black women at fan event
Atlanta Hawks GM Wes Wilcox made offensive remarks while speaking before season-ticket holders at an event on Dec. 7, according to Deadspin.
In an attempt to calm a crowd upset by the state of the franchise, Wilcox made a poor attempt at levity with a racially charged joke, as retold by Hawks fan Clarenton Crawford and another fan who attended the event:
"I know you guys may be angry with me, but I'm used to it because I have a black wife and three mixed kids, so I'm used to people being angry and argumentative," Wilcox said.
Wilcox issued an apology through a statement to Deadspin:
"At an early December chalk talk, I made a self-deprecating comment at my own expense regarding my family, which is multi-racial. This joke offended Mr. Crawford and his wife and for that, I apologize."
Crawford pursued the matter further with Hawks CEO Steve Koonin. The two shared an email exchange that eventually led to a sit-down between Crawford, Koonin, and Hawks senior VP Nzinga Shaw. Koonin offered his apologies on behalf of Wilcox, while Shaw, who also serves as the Hawks' chief diversity and inclusion officer, said Wilcox was placed in counseling.
Two years ago, former Hawks general manager Danny Ferry was let go after issuing racist remarks regarding then-free agent Luol Deng and other fellow Africans. The ensuing investigation into Ferry's comments revealed that former Hawks team owner Bruce Levenson stated in an email to his staff that he valued white fans more than black fans.
Both Ferry and Levenson are no longer with the franchise.