Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Levenson Isn't A Racist, Just A Businessman
Abdul-Jabbar writes in TIME about the recent revelation about Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levenson's email (scroll down) on how to attract more white fans:
Sure, there are assumptions he makes that are cringeworthy--but the questions about how to attract more white fans were entirely reasonable....I read Levenson's email. Here's what I concluded: Levenson is a businessman asking reasonable questions about how to put customers in seats. In the email, addressed to Hawks president Danny Ferry, Levenson wonders whether (according to his observations) the emphasis on hip-hop and gospel music and the fact that the cheerleaders are black, the bars are filled with 90% blacks, kiss cams focus on black fans and time-out contestants are always black has an effect on keeping away white fans.
Seems reasonable to ask those questions. If his arena was filled mostly with whites and he wanted to attract blacks, wouldn't he be asking how they could de-emphasize white culture and bias toward white contestants and cheerleaders? Don't you think every corporation in America that is trying to attract a more diverse customer base is discussing how to feature more blacks or Asians or Latinos in their TV ads?
...Sure, there are a few assumptions he makes that make me cringe a little. For example: "My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base." On the other hand, I have no evidence that he's wrong on either count. Even if he is, the question still needed to be raised, because racism is a realistic possibility as to why whites in Atlanta may not be coming.
To Levenson's credit, in that same paragraph, he dismisses fans who complained about the arena's site as code for racist fear that "there are too many blacks at the games." He further decries the white perception that even though the percentage of blacks in attendance had lessened, they still feel it's higher and therefore somehow threatening. His outrage seems authentic.
Businesspeople should have the right to wonder how to appeal to diverse groups in order to increase business. They should even be able to make minor insensitive gaffes if there is no obvious animosity or racist intent. This is a business email that is pretty harmless in terms of insulting anyone -- and pretty fascinating in terms of seeing how the business of running a team really works.
The thing that makes me mad is that Levenson was too quick to rend his clothing and shout mea culpa. In his apology, he wrote, "By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans." But that's not the message in the email at all. If the seats had been filled, even if by all blacks, the email wouldn't have been written. He wasn't valuing white fans over blacks; he was trying to figure out a way to change what he thought was the white perception in Atlanta so he could sell more tickets. That's his job.
I don't buy what this guy did. You're right he is a shrewd business man but not in the way you think.
A couple of years ago he wouldn't sell the Trashers unless somebody bought the Hawks, finally found a buyer and was shot down by the NBA.
Suddenly he himsel releases this pretty tame e-mail about "too many black people" in a black city like Atlanta? Yeah right. It's Atlanta of course the majority of your basketball fans are going to be black and listen to hip hop.
Atlanta is the American black Mecca.
Now he's announcing the sale and is essentially forcing the NBA to agree due to cries of racism.
Ppen at September 9, 2014 6:50 AM
This racist witch hunt will probably end in November.
It is just the dems trying to get the base to turn out for them in The midterms. .
Isab at September 9, 2014 7:06 AM
>>Now he's announcing the sale and is essentially forcing the NBA to agree due to cries of racism.
If that's the case he's fucking brilliant.
Assholio at September 9, 2014 7:13 AM
Abdul-Jabbar's response is what's news-worthy.
We regularly hear of some person in the public eye making remarks that (in or out of context) seem racist, and we get to see Sharpton and Jackson yet again using their MLK-sound-alike voices to attempt to get people fired up.
But to have a person in the public eye say, hang on, it's NOT racist. Not fanning the flames, not ranting, not going for the sound bite. That's what is really heartening. Good for him.
I hope that some of the issues he brings up are addressed, in the same rational, analytic, problem-solving spirit he used here.
I will keep an ear out for him, in the future, and make a point to pay attention to what he's saying.
flbeachmom at September 9, 2014 8:13 AM
They targeted a black market and they got it. What's the issue again?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 9, 2014 9:13 AM
> The thing that makes me mad is
> that Levenson was too quick to
> rend his clothing and shout mea culpa.
Well, Kareem, the last guy to do that sold a two-hundred-million-dollar franchise for two billion dollars.
Is that how it's done? Yeah, I'm a terrible racist... I'm a man with a problem over here!
Last we heard, the Hawks are worth a mere $575M. Levinson should probably slap a few nuns or something.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at September 9, 2014 9:35 AM
I read the e-mail. It is a discussion of how to get more butts in seats. As the author of the article says some of the assumptions are cringe worthy, but not really racist.
But essentially any white guy making a comment on race now, in the PC world, is subject to torches and pitch forks.
That needs to change.
Jim P. at September 9, 2014 10:44 AM
I've never really followed professional sports; So, I had only heard about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar peripherally while he was a professional basketball player. The unique name helped him to stand out a bit for us non-sports fans.
However, since his retirement he has really been something! Starring in movies, being on television - and he is one of the best on celebrity Jeopardy.
And, now, with this article he has really outdone himself showing what a good writer and a real mensch he is! He didn't have to do this at all. Kudos to him for standing up (and maybe drowning out the likes of Sharpton and Jackson).
Charles at September 9, 2014 6:06 PM
He's been writing and blogging for years. During his playing years, he was famously standoffish and resentful... Hence the early-twenties name change (from the similarly musical "Lew Alcindor," which sounded great from college PA announcers when echoing through the arenas after his hooks shots... Dozens of them... Hundreds.)
But upon retirement he noticed he wasn't getting as many offers as other guys were getting for corporate hospitality and speaking gigs and so forth... And racism wasn't the problem. So he turned up the warmth in his own heart, and it's worked out great for everyone.
He's had some bad things happen. He broke his hand on Kent Benson's face during the rookie's first pro game. (I'm pretty sure both of them deserved it.) And I remember he lost a world-class collection of jazz records in a house fire in Bel Air many years ago.
But I think he's lived an especially important public life in the Baby Boom generation... He's shown that success, American success, can take a person with raw skills and raw feelings and turn them into someone comfortable and comforting.
That's everything I know about KAJ. (Except: "Tell your old man to run up and down the court with Walton for 48 minutes....")
(Off to Wikipedia to see how much of that's accurate.)
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at September 9, 2014 6:41 PM
"echoing through the arenas after his hooks shots... Dozens of them... Hundreds"
Sheesh. You young folk. That was the "Sky Hook" you young whippersnapper.
Since he was quite outspoken in his yoot, The Greatest Coach Ever kept him calm and quiet.
Dave B at September 9, 2014 8:50 PM
Dood, I'll have you know I was raised 9 miles from The Greatest Coach Ever's hometown. I just didinwanna rub it in.
(I wasn't much of a fan in the UCLA era, too young, but I remember one loooooong afternoon visiting a rich friend [Color TV!] when the announcer kept saying Lewaaaaallllllll-SIIIIIIN-Door over the roaring crowd.)
Lewaaaaallllllll-SIIIIIIN-Door.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at September 9, 2014 9:13 PM
It's not racist, it's just catering to the whims of southern white folks!
Ipooted at September 9, 2014 11:14 PM
The only color he cares about is green.
MarkD at September 10, 2014 5:59 AM
Okay, I'll bite:
Is it racist to be wary of a sea of black fans when bringing your wife or girlfriend, given that they demonstrate lewd behavior in any such setting?
Have you seen a mixed or predominately white club who must pat people down for weapons?
Radwaste at September 10, 2014 9:05 AM
Yeah I'd say that's racist given that I attend majority black sporting events quite frequently (Warriors games) and the only people I see getting heckled are wearing opponent jerseys.
Dunno where you are from but every single big club I've attended in the last decade has frisked all patrons, and few of the shows were hip-hop or other majority black shows.
So yeah, racist.
Ipooted at September 10, 2014 9:47 AM
The only racist are the one calling him racist, cause black business owner have these conversations too, meaning the only reason Levenson is getting shit is because of his skin color
lujlp at September 10, 2014 11:10 AM
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