Alex Meruelo Buys Atlanta Hawks, Plans to Stay

It's been a long time coming, but the Atlanta Hawks have finally been sold.

Alex Meruelo, an entrepreneur turned millionaire from southern California, has reportedly reached an agreement with the Atlanta Spirit Group in which he will have "complete control" over the Hawks franchise.

He has no plans of relocation, and when asked if there would be a situation in which he would consider it, he replied: "Absolutely not. None."This comes as a relief to the city of Atlanta as they just saw ownership ship off the Atlanta Thrashers, with whom the Hawks shared Philips Arena.

It was well known that the ASG was in talks with potential buyers, and although a relocation seemed unlikely, there was still a lingering fear that the Hawks would get treated like the Thrashers and be shipped out of state (or country).Even though the Hawks franchise is bound to a contract that holds them in Philips Arena until the year 2028, many NBA fans remember how the Seattle Supersonics were sold and unfairly moved to Oklahoma City.

Meruelo though, has made it clear that the Hawks will remain in Atlanta.

Meruelo started a pizza chain in Southern California called La Pizza Loca. It quickly grew in popularity and more and more locations started opening, giving him the opportunity to expand his business ventures. He's been involved in the restaurant business, casinos, and even started his own TV station, but he said it's always been a dream of his to own an NBA franchise.

This is his shot. Although he can't state what his plans are for the franchise due to the NBA lockout, he has assured the city of Atlanta that he will be "hands on" in his ownership, doing his best to bring stability and success to the Hawks. 

After the Hawks ended an exclusive buying period with former San Diego Padres owner John Moores, Meruelo quickly came back into the picture.

If this sale is indeed passed by the NBA, Meruelo would be the first Hispanic owner in NBA history, something that is very important to him.

"I'm proud of my heritage," said Meruelo. "It's nice to be able to do something that is different and is not in the ordinary."

While Meruelo is quickly on pace to be the first Hispanic owner, Hawks fans around the country are foaming at the mouth.This is a team that has been a tweener for some time now: too good to get a game-changing draft pick, but not good enough to legitimately contend for a championship.The Hawks have not been able to take the next step in the playoffs, but with Meruelo's "hands-on" approach, hopefully, things will take a turn for the better.

Meruelo stated what his goals are, and they're not to mess around.This city is craving a championship. They've only taken home one title in the three major sports (NBA, NFL and MLB) in the city's history (1995 Braves).The Hawks have never made it out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. 

Meruelo is out to end the drought.

‎"I want to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta," he said. 

He seems anxious to get started, but everyone's future looks bleak with the lingering lockout.

At the very least, the Hawks can look forward to a new era.