Bruce Levenson to sell interest in Atlanta Hawks per report

Yahoo Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson will sell his stake in the Atlanta Hawks.

Owner Bruce Levenson will sell the Atlanta Hawks after revelation of a 2012 racist email, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announces.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 7, 2014

At issue is a reported email from 2012 that contains some sort of racist element. Wojnarowski also reports that NBA owners met on the issue in New York last week and that Levenson agreed to sell his stake.

There was meeting in NYC including NBA owners late last week discussing issue, sources told Yahoo. Levenson agreed to sell, Silver says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) September 7, 2014

Obviously this is a serious subject in wake of the Donald Sterling situation that dominated NBA headlines this summer. The NBA forced the longtime Clippers' owner to sell the Clippers after it he made racist remarks.

Here is a statement issued by Levenson on the situation:

"If you're angry about what I wrote, you should be," Levenson said in a statement released by the team. "I'm angry at myself, too. It was inflammatory nonsense. We all may have subtle biases and preconceptions when it comes to race, but my role as a leader is to challenge them, not to validate or accommodate those who might hold them.

"I have said repeatedly that the NBA should have zero tolerance for racism, and I strongly believe that to be true. That is why I voluntarily reported my inappropriate e-mail to the NBA.

"After much long and difficult contemplation, I have decided that it is in the best interests of the team, the Atlanta community, and the NBA to sell my controlling interest in the Hawks franchise."