But it’s clear the man now in charge of the Hawks, billionaire Tony Ressler, has high expectations for the team.
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“We own both a community asset and a business,” Ressler said Thursday as he and his ownership group officially took control of the franchise. “Obviously we’re going to be committed to doing the best we can to invest in this team for the long term.
“We have a view, a strong view, of what ownership should be. We have a view that ownership should create stability, that ownership should create ample resources for the team to do the best they can, which I think we would describe as winning a championship at some point.”
The first step on that path will be adding team president duties to NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer’s portfolio and making Wes Wilcox the general manager, two previously reported moves that Ressler confirmed had been sealed with a “handshake agreement” before his ownership got final NBA approval Wednesday.
While Ressler holds the controlling ownership stake of around 50 percent, minority owner and former NBA standout Grant Hill appears set to play a significant role. Hill sat next to Ressler at Thursday’s news conference and spoke of the group’s commitment to making Atlanta an attractive option for future free agents.
“I thought from the outside looking in for so many years, why couldn’t this be a free agent destination?” Hill said. “It starts at the top, a commitment from us. We’ve made a substanial investment into this ballclub and we’re going to do what we can to enhance the value, make it more attractive.”
“We hope to make the city proud,” Ressler said.
