124-581: Alex Meruelo (born March 27, 1964) is a Cuban-American billionaire who holds business interests in banking, real estate, media, restaurants, food, casinos, and professional sports. He is the owner of Meruelo Group, as well as Meruelo Media, which owns five radio stations and two television stations in Los Angeles . He is also the owner of Fuji Food , two casinos, the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada and
248-753: A $ 25 million investment in the renovation of the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. In February 2013, the Meruelo Group made a bid to buy Donald Trump 's Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino for $ 20 million. The deal fell through and the casino closed the following year. The SLS Las Vegas (formerly the Sahara Hotel and Casino ) in Las Vegas , Nevada , was purchased by the Meruelo Group in June 2017. Alex Meruelo plans to turn
372-641: A 22,000-square-foot, $ 12.1 million house in Paradise Valley , AZ. Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( Spanish : cubanoestadounidenses or cubanoamericanos ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba , regardless of racial or ethnic origin. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States after Mexican Americans , Stateside Puerto Ricans and Salvadoran Americans . Many metropolitan areas throughout
496-514: A 28–54 record. In 2003, Atlanta hosted the All-Star game, the last an Eastern Conference team would host for nine years. On March 31, 2004, the team was sold to a group of executives by the name of Atlanta Spirit LLC by Time Warner (who inherited the Hawks, Braves and Thrashers upon its merger with Turner Broadcasting in 1996). During the off-season, the Hawks sent Jason Terry , Alan Henderson , and
620-651: A 50–39 victory over the Syracuse Nationals – was played on November 8, 1946. On the team was William "Pop" Gates , who, along with William "Dolly" King , was one of the first two African-American players in the NBL. The team, which needed to draw 3,600 fans per game to break even, struggled to draw 1,000 fans per game to the Auditorium. The franchise lasted only 38 days (13 games) in Buffalo when, on December 25, 1946, Leo Ferris ,
744-646: A U.S. Census 1970 report, Cuban Americans were present in all fifty states. But as later Census reports demonstrated, the majority of Cuban immigrants settled in Miami-Dade County. Emigration from Cuba began to slow down in the late 1990s. Meanwhile, second-generation Cuban Americans increasingly moved out of urban enclaves like Little Havana and settled in suburban areas like Westchester , while those urban areas came to be inhabited by immigrants from other Latin American nations. In late 1999, U.S. news media focused on
868-550: A Western Division-best 49–23 record, helping him capture his second MVP award. The Hawks remained one of the NBA's premier teams for the next decade. In 1960, under coach Ed Macauley , the team advanced to the Finals , but lost to the Celtics in another game seven thriller. The following year, with the acquisition of rookie Lenny Wilkens , the Hawks repeated their success, but met the Celtics in
992-452: A business loan. These loans enabled many Cuban Americans to secure funds and start up their own businesses. With their Cuban-owned businesses and low cost of living, Miami, Florida and Union City, New Jersey (dubbed Havana on the Hudson ) were the preferred destinations for many immigrants and soon became the main centers for Cuban-American culture. According to author Lisandro Perez, Miami
1116-526: A condition of their sale. Additionally, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed stated that the city might offer incentives for a prospective owner to keep the Hawks in Atlanta for another 30 years. On April 22, 2015, Atlanta Spirit reached a tentative agreement to sell the franchise to a group led by billionaire Tony Ressler (with Grant Hill , Steven Price , Rick Schnall , Sara Blakely , Jesse Itzler and Ressler's wife Jami Gertz holding minority stakes) for $ 850 million;
1240-447: A double-overtime thriller in game seven. In 1958, after tallying their first winning record, they again advanced to the Finals , where they avenged their defeat against the Celtics from the previous year, winning the series 4–2 and giving the Hawks their first and only NBA Championship. Bob Pettit scored 50 points in the final game of the series. The following season Bob Pettit led the Hawks to
1364-501: A failing pizza restaurant and called his new business La Pizza Loca. Within 5 years, La Pizza Loca opened 12 locations and reached $ 10 million in sales. Meruelo expanded his business focus, founding the Meruelo Group, which has grown into a construction and real estate development firm. Meruelo Group has ownership of Neal Electric Corp, Select Electric Inc., and Doty Bros within the Southern California area. The group also owns
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#17328525889701488-581: A future 2nd-round pick to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jeremy Tyler , who was waived 15 days later. The Hawks ended the 2012–13 season with a 44–38 record, making a playoff appearance for the sixth straight season. However, they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games in the first round. By the end of the off-season, every player involved in the Johnson and Williams trades just
1612-470: A future first-round draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk . After the change in ownership, the Hawks still struggled. In the 2004–05 season , the Hawks were the league's worst team with a mere 13 victories (five fewer than even the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the struggling New Orleans Hornets ). It was also the year Josh Smith won the 2005 Slam Dunk Contest. In
1736-517: A losing record, they managed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999 . In the playoffs the Hawks started to show improvement, pushing the eventual NBA Champions, Boston Celtics , to a Game 7 before losing in Boston. The Hawks won all three games at Philips Arena, which hosted its first playoff games and earned its first sellout. The 2008–09 season saw the Hawks win 47 games, their first winning season since 1999. With almost an intact lineup from
1860-446: A major drop-off point for Cubans trying to reach the United States illegally. As a U.S. Commonwealth , Puerto Rico is seen as a stepping stone for Cubans trying to get to the continental U.S., though Puerto Rico itself is home to a number of Cubans. Before the 1980s, all refugees from Cuba were welcomed into the United States as political refugees. This changed in the 1990s so that only Cubans who reach U.S. soil are granted refuge under
1984-748: A major interest for Cuban Americans and a growing segment in the family research industry. This has complemented assimilation by preserving Cuban and colonial roots, while also adopting American culture and values. Cuban Americans are mostly Roman Catholic , but some Cubans practice syncretic religions (such as Santería or Ifá ), which evolved from mixing the Catholic religion with the traditional African religion. There are also many Protestant (primarily Pentecostal ) Cubans, with small numbers of syncretist , nonreligious or tiny communities of Jewish and Muslim Cuban Americans. The Protestant movement in Cuba started after
2108-703: A member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at State Farm Arena . The team's origins can be traced to the establishment of the Buffalo Bisons in 1946 in Buffalo, New York , a member of the National Basketball League (NBL) owned by Ben Kerner and Leo Ferris . After 38 days in Buffalo, the team moved to Moline, Illinois , where they were renamed
2232-456: A merger of the 12-year-old NBL and the three-year-old Basketball Association of America (BAA). They reached the playoffs in the NBA's inaugural year under the leadership of coach Red Auerbach . The following season, they drafted three-time All-American Bob Cousy , but they were unable to reach a deal and traded him to the Chicago Stags (who would later surrender him in a dispersal draft to
2356-574: A new arena was being constructed, the team spent its first four seasons playing at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Georgia Tech , winning their first Division title in the 1969–70 season with a 48–34 (.585) record in the Western Division. Cousins' firm soon developed the Omni Coliseum , a 16,500-seat, state-of-the-art downtown Atlanta arena, for the Hawks and the expansion Atlanta Flames ice hockey franchise, which opened in 1972 as
2480-461: A new arena. The Omni was designed with weathering steel that was intended to rust into a seal around the arena so it could last for decades. However, the designers and architects did not reckon on Atlanta's humid subtropical climate. As a result, it never stopped rusting, and looked somewhat dated despite being 25 years old. When Turner won an NHL franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers , one condition
2604-686: A plot of land in Riverside to Walmart , making him a millionaire in his early 20s. Meruelo attended the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, California , and received his B.S. from California State University, Long Beach . Meruelo began his career in his father's tuxedo business. At the age of 23, he decided to open a new type of pizza restaurant catering to Latinos in the US and offering unusual toppings such as chorizo and jalapeños. He bought
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#17328525889702728-549: A profound cultural impact as a result, as seen in such aspects of their local culture as cuisine, fashion, music, entertainment and cigar -making. Another large wave (an estimated 125,000 people) of Cuban immigration occurred in the early 1980s with the Mariel boatlifts . Most of the "Marielitos" were people wanting to escape from economic stagnation. Fidel Castro sent some 20,000 criminals directly from Cuban prisons, as well as mentally ill persons from Cuban mental institutions, with
2852-481: A result of deteriorating relations with the Spanish metropolis. 1869 marked the beginning of one of the most significant periods of emigration from Cuba to the United States, again centered on Key West. The exodus of hundreds of workers and businessmen was linked to the manufacture of tobacco. The reasons are many: the introduction of more modern techniques of elaboration of snuff, the most direct access to its main market,
2976-606: A steal in a loss to the New Jersey Nets . After the game he was dealt to the Detroit Pistons in a three-way trade with the Boston Celtics . In turn, Detroit sent guard Bob Sura , center Željko Rebrača , and a first-round draft pick to the Hawks. The Boston Celtics also sent forward Chris Mills to Atlanta to complete the deal, but Mills never had a chance to play in a Hawks uniform. The Hawks ended their 2003–04 season with
3100-551: A step back in the 2010–11 season, finishing with 44 wins, even though Horford and Johnson were named to the All-Star team. In mid-season the Hawks traded Mike Bibby to the Washington Wizards for Kirk Hinrich , in hopes of bringing a defensive guard to replace the defensively liable Bibby. The Hawks finished the season losing their final six games. In the playoffs the Hawks beat the Magic in six games; however, they subsequently lost to
3224-460: A unique group of people who bear their own traditions and perspectives. Cuban food is varied, though rice is a staple and commonly served at lunch and dinner. Other common dishes are arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), pan con bistec ( steak sandwich ), platanos maduros (sweet plantains ), lechon asado (pork), yuca ( cassava root ), flan , batido de mamey (mamey milkshake ), papayas and guava paste. A common lunch staple
3348-523: A year earlier were either waived or not brought back. The 2013 free agency period also marked the end of the Josh Smith era for Atlanta as he signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons . Longtime Hawk Zaza Pachulia moved on as well and signed with the Milwaukee Bucks . With half the roster gone, 2012–13 proved to be a roster turnover year, paving a path to success for Mike Budenholzer. On May 28, 2013,
3472-535: Is derived from diverse peoples from Middle East places such as Lebanon and Palestine. There was also a significant influx of Jews , especially between the World Wars, from many countries, including Sephardi Jews from Turkey and Ashkenazi Jews from Poland , Germany and Russia . Other Europeans that have contributed include Britons , Italians , Germans , Swedes and Hungarians . Many Chinese also arrived in Cuba as indentured laborers and they formerly boasted
3596-536: Is much lower than the 20% among other Latino groups. While roughly half of all Cuban-Americans indicate that they feel more proficient in Spanish, around 60% of all Cuban-Americans do speak English proficiently. 36% of all Cuban-Americans consider themselves bilingual. The choice of many Cuban-Americans to utilize Spanish in the home connects to the desire of Cuban-Americans to retain their ethnic heritage. While many Cuban-Americans are open to some assimilation into American culture, ultimately they still consider themselves
3720-599: Is the Cuban sandwich (sometimes called a mixto sandwich), which is built on Cuban bread and was created and standardized among cigar workers who traveled between Cuba and Florida (especially Ybor City ) around the turn of the 20th century. Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta . The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as
3844-454: The 1961 NBA Finals again and lost in five games. They would remain contenders for most of the 1960s, advancing deep into the playoffs and also capturing several division titles. Despite the success, Kerner became weary of the Hawks' longtime home, Kiel Auditorium . The 33-year-old arena seated only 10,000 and was starting to show its age. The Hawks occasionally played at the larger St. Louis Arena , mostly against popular opponents, but Kerner
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3968-531: The 2012 NBA draft , the Hawks chose guard John Jenkins with the 23rd pick and power forward Mike Scott with the 43rd pick. On July 2, 2012, the Hawks traded leading scorer and All-Star Joe Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets for Jordan Farmar , Anthony Morrow , DeShawn Stevenson , Jordan Williams and Johan Petro , as well as a 2013 first-round pick. That same day, the Hawks traded small forward Marvin Williams to
4092-642: The Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League from the previous sole owner Andrew Barroway who retained a minority stake. With his purchase of the Coyotes, Meruelo became the first Latino owner in the NHL. On March 27, 2023 NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that he would become the sole owner of the Arizona Coyotes after Andrew Barroway was indefinitely banned from the league after being arrested for
4216-594: The Boston Celtics when the Stags folded). The Blackhawks finished last in the Western Division and missed the playoffs. By then, it was obvious that the Tri-Cities area was too small to support an NBA team. After the season, the franchise relocated to Milwaukee , and became the Milwaukee Hawks . In 1954, the Hawks drafted Bob Pettit , a future NBA MVP. Despite this, the Hawks were one of the league's worst teams, and in 1955
4340-658: The Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in six games. In August 2011, it was announced that California-based businessman Alex Meruelo was buying a majority stake of the Hawks, but in November he backed out of his intentions. In December 2011, the Hawks signed Tracy McGrady , Jerry Stackhouse , Jason Collins , Vladimir Radmanovic , Jannero Pargo , and Willie Green . They also picked up rookies Donald Sloan and 27-year-old Ivan Johnson . Sloan
4464-657: The Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and never played for the Hawks. Cable network entrepreneur and Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner bought the team in 1977 and hired Hubie Brown to become head coach. The Hawks were the only NBA team in the Deep South, just as the Atlanta Braves were the only Major League Baseball team in the region for many years to come. Turner's ownership
4588-472: The Georgia Dome used for larger-capacity games, until Philips Arena opened before the 1999–2000 season. The Hawks had two 50+ win seasons in 1996–97 (56–26) and 1997–98 (50–32), with center Dikembe Mutombo winning defensive player of the year awards back to back. The Hawks defeated the Detroit Pistons in five games in the first round of the 1997 NBA playoffs, but lost in five games in the second round to
4712-775: The Gulf Coast west of the Mississippi River were provinces of the Captaincy General of Cuba . Consequently, Cuban immigration to regions that would eventually form the United States have a long history, beginning in the Spanish colonial period in 1565 when the settlement of St. Augustine was established by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and hundreds of Spanish soldiers and their families moved from Cuba to St. Augustine to establish new lives. Thousands of Cuban settlers also immigrated to Louisiana between 1778 and 1802 and Texas during
4836-671: The NBA Finals in 1957, 1960 and 1961. The Hawks played the Boston Celtics in all four of their trips to the NBA Finals. The St. Louis Hawks moved to Atlanta on May 3, 1968, when Kerner sold the franchise to Thomas Cousins and former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders . The Hawks currently own the second-longest drought (behind the Sacramento Kings ) of not winning an NBA championship at 64 seasons. The franchise's lone NBA championship, as well as all four NBA Finals appearances, occurred when
4960-627: The Sahara Las Vegas in Las Vegas. Meruelo was the majority owner of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League until he sold the team to the league, which then sold the team to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith , under an agreement with the NHL that the Coyotes would be temporarily deactivated, with Smith using the Coyotes' non-business properties, including players and staff, to form the Utah Hockey Club . Meruelo forfeited his ownership of
5084-597: The Tampa Bay area 's Cuban population grew from almost nothing to the largest in Florida in just over a decade, and the city as a whole grew from a village of approximately 1000 residents in 1885 to over 16,000 by 1900. Both Ybor City and West Tampa were instrumental in Cuba's eventual independence. Inspired by revolutionaries such as Jose Martí , who visited Florida several times, Tampa-area Cubans and their sympathetic neighbors donated money, equipment, and sometimes their lives to
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5208-575: The Tri-Cities Blackhawks . In 1949, they joined the NBA as part of the merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and briefly had Red Auerbach as coach. In 1951, Kerner moved the team to Milwaukee , where they changed their name to the Milwaukee Hawks . Kerner and the team moved again in 1955 to St. Louis , where they won their first (and thus far only) NBA Championship in 1958 and qualified to play in
5332-555: The Utah Jazz for point guard Devin Harris . On July 10, 2012, the Hawks signed guard Lou Williams. On January 21, 2013, following Lou Williams' season-ending injury in a game against the Brooklyn Nets, the Hawks signed guard Jannero Pargo to a 10-day contract. On February 21, 2013, the Hawks traded Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for Dahntay Jones . That same day, the Hawks traded
5456-794: The Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico ; many landed on Isla Mujeres . From there Cuban immigrants traveled to the Texas-Mexico border and found asylum. Many of the Cubans who did not have family in Miami settled in Houston ; this has caused Houston's Cuban-American community to increase in size. The term "dusty foot" refers to Cubans emigrating to the U.S. through Mexico. In 2005 the Department of Homeland Security had abandoned
5580-420: The indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and those of Florida . During the 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century, there were waves of Spanish immigration to Cuba ( Castilians , Basques , Canarians , Catalans , Andalusians , Asturians and Galicians ). Canarians immigrated to many countries along the Caribbean from Louisiana to Venezuela. But Cuba was the Latin American culture most influenced by
5704-597: The " wet foot, dry foot policy ". While representing a tightening of U.S. immigration policy, the wet foot, dry foot policy still affords Cubans a privileged position relative to other immigrants to the U.S. This privileged position is the source of a certain friction between Cuban Americans and other Latino citizens and residents in the United States, adding to the tension caused by the divergent foreign policy interests pursued by conservative Cuban Americans. Cuban immigration also continues with an allotted number of Cubans (20,000 per year) provided legal U.S. visas. According to
5828-429: The 1995–96 season with a 46–36 record, fourth in the Central Division. Midway through the season, they acquired Christian Laettner from the Minnesota Timberwolves ; Laettner would get an All-Star appearance in 1997. They upset the third-seeded Pacers in the first round in five games; however, lost in five games to the Orlando Magic in the semifinals. Around this time, it was decided that the Omni should be replaced by
5952-404: The 2014–15 season. However, the team could not advance past the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs, losing to the eventual Eastern Conference (and in some years, NBA) champions Boston and Detroit . The Hawks drafted Stacey Augmon with their ninth overall pick in the 1991 NBA draft , who would make the All-Rookie First Team. However, Wilkins had a season-ending injury in the middle of
6076-460: The Arizona Coyotes after the Arizona State Land Department canceled an auction for a 110-acre tract of land in north Phoenix. Meruelo was seeking the land for a new arena. Meruelo was born in New York City . His parents were accountants who fled the Castro regime. His family moved to Los Angeles , California , where they held a bridal shop and invested in local real estate. He also started to invest in real estate at an early age, and eventually sold
6200-437: The Central Division with a 28–54 record; they would not return to the playoffs for eight years. Point guard Jason Terry became the team's scoring leader during the 2000–01 season, leading them with 19.7 ppg. After the All-Star break, the Hawks traded Mutombo to the Philadelphia 76ers for Theo Ratliff , Toni Kukoč , and Nazr Mohammed . However, Ratliff was injured and did not play with the Hawks until next season. They ended
6324-433: The Commercial Bank of California. which Meruelo co-founded in 2003, television stations KWHY-TV and KBEH , radio stations KLOS , KLLI , KPWR , KDAY and KDEY-FM under the Meruelo Media banner, and the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. Meruelo purchased food manufacturer and the largest provider and distributor of pre-packaged sushi in the United States Fuji Food in 2009. In September 2011, Meruelo announced
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#17328525889706448-433: The Coyotes' assets to Smith Entertainment Group , current owners of the Utah Jazz , and move the team's personnel to Salt Lake City . As part of the agreement, the team would be declared "dormant" as Meruelo would continue with his efforts to build a new arena, with Meruelo becoming owner of a reactivated Coyotes team should he succeed in building the arena by the end of 2029, but would return all remaining Coyotes assets to
6572-414: The Cuban American population in the state of Florida. As per 2024, the second state with the highest Cuban American population is Texas , counting a number up to 140,000 individuals identifying as such. About 60,000, and more reside in the Greater Houston area, whereas about 20,000 of them live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Austin, Texas (up to 10,000). Some other thousands are spread out across
6696-467: The Cuban national anthem. In 1885, Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar operations from Key West to the town of Tampa, Florida to escape labor strife. Ybor City was designed as a modified company town , and it quickly attracted thousands of Cuban workers from Key West and Cuba with Spanish and Italian immigrant workers. West Tampa , another new cigar manufacturing community, was founded nearby in 1892 and also grew quickly. Between these communities,
6820-421: The Hawks announced that he would undergo surgery the next day and would miss the rest of the season. The Hawks finished 38–44, their first losing season since 2008. However, due to the weakness of the Eastern Conference, they finished as the 8th seed in the playoffs, and just like 2008, the Hawks would not go down easy, as they took the top-seeded Pacers to 7 games in before a 92–80 loss in game 7. On May 1, 2014,
6944-414: The Hawks finished four games under .500. However, the Western Division was extremely weak that year; no team in the division had a winning record. They won the division title and a bye to the division finals after defeating the Minneapolis Lakers and Fort Wayne Pistons in one-game tiebreakers. They then defeated the Lakers in the division finals to advance to the Finals , losing to the Boston Celtics in
7068-452: The Hawks fired head coach Hubie Brown en route to the team's 31–51 record. In 1982, the franchise acquired superstar Dominique Wilkins (a University of Georgia alumnus) and promoted Mike Fratello to head coach a year later. Due to sagging attendance, 12 home games during the 1984–85 season were played at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans , Louisiana . The New Orleans games were paid for by Barry Mendelson for $ 1.2 million with
7192-432: The Hawks going 6–6 in Louisiana. Wilkins won the Slam Dunk Contest in 1985 and 1990, engaging in an iconic rivalry with Michael Jordan . Spud Webb won the Slam Dunk Contest and Fratello won the Coach of the Year Award in 1986. From 1985 to 1989, the Hawks were among the league's elite, winning 50 games or more each season. They won a division title in 1986–87 going 57–25 which was a franchise record that would last until
7316-422: The Hawks hired San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer as the new head coach. The Hawks entered the 2013 NBA draft with four draft picks. They drafted point guards Dennis Schröder (17th pick) and Shane Larkin (18th pick). They also chose point guard Raulzinho Neto with the 47th pick and small forward James Ennis with the 50th pick. However, the Hawks traded Larkin to the Dallas Mavericks for
7440-450: The Hawks moved, this time to St. Louis , Missouri , Milwaukee's rival in the beer industry, and became the St. Louis Hawks . In 1956, Bob Pettit captured the league's first official Most Valuable Player award , and the St. Louis Hawks drafted legendary Bill Russell in the first round (second overall pick). They immediately traded Russell to the Boston Celtics for Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley , both Hall of Fame members. In 1957,
7564-416: The Hawks only landed the number two pick in the 2005 NBA draft lottery (the first pick went to the Milwaukee Bucks ). With the second pick, the Hawks selected Marvin Williams of North Carolina . In the 2006 draft , the Hawks selected former Duke star Shelden Williams with the fifth overall pick. Hope and redemption appeared to be on the horizon for the Hawks beginning in 2007. With the third pick of
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#17328525889707688-537: The Hawks unveiled a new secondary logo, which is a modernized version of the 1972–95 "Pac-Man" logo. On July 15, 2014, they acquired defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha from the Oklahoma City Thunder . On September 7, 2014, Bruce Levenson announced he would sell his share of the team, after self-reporting an inappropriate email he sent in 2012. Some in the African American sports community have defended Levenson, namely Jason Whitlock and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , commenting that Levenson's email had no racist intent, but
7812-403: The Hawks up for sale. One of the bidders was a New Orleans group led by future talk show host Morton Downey Jr. , but the deal collapsed and Kerner temporarily took his team off the market. Unable to resolve the arena situation, Kerner sold the Hawks to Atlanta real estate developer Tom Cousins and former Georgia governor Carl Sanders , who moved the team to Atlanta in 1968. While
7936-406: The Hawks won 57 games, tying a team record. They also won a fourth division title in Atlanta, and third in the Central Division. Coach Wilkens was named Coach of the Year for his work with the team. However, the team fell short again in the playoffs, losing to the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern semis in six games. The season was also marred by the trading of Dominique Wilkins, who remains
8060-412: The Hawks' most popular players during the 1990s, and Smith had recently been awarded the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his charitable endeavors, as well as being selected in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game . By contrast, Rider had a history of behavioral problems both on and off the court. Rider's troubled conduct continued after his arrival in Atlanta. Rider missed the first day of training camp and
8184-415: The NBA draft, they selected Al Horford . Horford nearly averaged a double-double during his rookie season, and was the only unanimous selection to the All-Rookie First Team as well as being runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors. The season started with a victory against the Dallas Mavericks 101–94, sending hope to Hawks fans. The last time they won a season opener was in 1998, also the last time they made
8308-449: The NBA's Southeast Division ; one week later, with a win over Miami as well as a Cleveland loss to Brooklyn, the Hawks clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs . The team finished a franchise-best 60–22. In the Eastern Conference first round, the Hawks defeated the Brooklyn Nets in six games. The Hawks then advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face the Washington Wizards, also defeating them in six games. It
8432-438: The SLS Hotel as The Sahara Las Vegas. On August 29, 2019, the Meruelo Group officially changed the SLS Hotel to Sahara Las Vegas and is located on Sahara Blvd. In November 2011, Meruelo's bid to take ownership of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association from the team's then-owners Atlanta Spirit was turned down. The team was later sold to Tony Ressler in 2015. In June 2019, he purchased majority ownership of
8556-409: The Spanish–American War when many Americans came to Cuba. Similar to the 67% of other Latinos, 69% of Cubans under 18 speak a language other than English at home. For Cubans over the age of 18, the percent speaking a language other than English at home climbs to 89%, which is higher than the 80% among other Latino groups. Only 12% of Cubans under the age of 18 speak English less than very well, which
8680-532: The U.S. Their parents were afraid that their children were going to be sent to some Soviet bloc countries to be educated and they decided to send them to the States as soon as possible. This program was called Operation Peter Pan ( Operacion Pedro Pan ). When the children arrived in Miami they were met by representatives of Catholic Charities and they were sent to live with relatives if they had any or were sent to foster homes, orphanages or boarding schools until their parents could leave Cuba. From 1965 to 1973, there
8804-526: The US population. Of the 1,241,685 Cuban Americans, 983,147 were born abroad in Cuba and 628,331 were U.S. born. Of the 1.6 million, 415,212 were not U.S. citizens. In the 2013 ACS, there were 2,013,155 Cuban Americans. The 2010 US Census shows that 85% of Cuban Americans self-identified as being white. The most recent 2012 Cuban census has the island population at 64.12% white, 26.62% mulatto , 9.26% black , and 0.1% Asian . The ancestry of Cuban Americans includes Spanish and African peoples , as well as
8928-694: The United States have significant Cuban American populations. Florida (2,000,000 in 2023) has the highest concentration of Cuban Americans in the United States. Over 1,200,000 Cuban-Americans reside in Miami-Dade County , where they are the largest single ethnic group and constitute a majority of the population in many municipalities. Greater Miami has by far the highest concentration of Cuban Americans of any metropolitan area, with an estimate of 2.000.000 individuals identifying as such. Along with Greater Miami and its surroundings, Tampa (200,621) and Jacksonville (up to 7,000) compose another portion of
9052-535: The United States, the uncertainty about the future of the island, which had suffered years of economic, political and social unrest during the beginning of the Ten Years' War against Spanish rule. It was an exodus of skilled workers, precisely the class in the island that had succeeded in establishing a free labor sector amid a slave economy. Tampa was added to such efforts, with a strong migration of Cubans, which went from 720 inhabitants in 1880 to 5,532 in 1890. However,
9176-571: The United States, where Cubans were intercepted at the Southern border over 300,000 times. In the mid- to late 19th century, several cigar manufacturers moved their operations to Key West to get away from growing laboral and political problems. Many Cuban cigar workers followed. The Cuban government had even established a grammar school in Key West to help preserve Cuban culture. There, children learned folk songs and patriotic hymns such as " La Bayamesa ",
9300-500: The Western United States at 1.96% of the population. Cuban Americans have been very successful in establishing businesses and developing political clout in Miami. Cuban Americans have also contributed to and participated in many areas of American life including academia, business, acting, politics, and literature. In the last 15 years, due to the growth of interest around the world for genealogy, Cuban genealogy has become
9424-462: The alleged double purpose of cleaning up Cuban society and poisoning the USA. Those people were labeled "inadmissible" by the US government, and with time, through many negotiations, have been returned to Cuba. Since the mid-1990s, after the implementation of the "Wet feet, dry feet" policy immigration patterns changed. Many Cuban immigrants departed from the southern and western coasts of Cuba and arrived at
9548-425: The alleged strangulation of his wife. After a turbulent tenure as owner (including the team being kicked out of Gila River Arena following a series of rental disputes, forcing the team to relocate to Mullett Arena , which seats just a minuscule 4,600, while working on efforts to build their own arenas, including the aborted New Tempe Arena plans), on April 18, 2024, the NHL and Meruelo reached an agreement to sell
9672-597: The approach of detaining every dry foot Cuban who crosses through Texas and began a policy allowing most Cubans to obtain immediate parole. Jorge Ferragut, a Cuban immigrant who founded Casa Cuba, an agency that assists Cuban immigrants arriving in Texas, said in a 2008 article that many Cuban immigrants of the first decade of the 21st century left due to economic instead of political issues. By October 2008 Mexico and Cuba created an agreement to prevent immigration of Cubans through Mexico. In recent years, Puerto Rico has become
9796-656: The cancellation of the auction. Stating that "ASLD recently confirmed that the proposed arena use will require a Special Use Permit , and as a result we are requesting that the applicant file for and receive a Special Use Permit prior to the auction." In May 2008, Meruelo purchased an 8,500-square-foot, $ 7.05 million house at 36 Indian Creek Drive in Miami. In March 2014, he acquired a $ 10.79 million penthouse in The Langham, New York . In June 2018, he purchased Colom Island in Spain for 3.2 million euros. In June 2021, Meruelo purchased
9920-399: The case of Elián González , the six-year-old Cuban boy caught in a custody battle between his relatives in Miami and his father in Cuba. The boy's mother died trying to bring him to the United States. On April 22, 2000, immigration enforcement agents took Elián González into custody. González was returned to Cuba to live with his father. On January 12, 2017, President Barack Obama announced
10044-478: The casino into a favorite destination for the Hispanic community. Meruelo plans to use its media properties to advertise the casino and its events. In May 2019, SLS brand owner SBE Hotel Licensing, LLC filed a lawsuit alleging that Meruelo's Las Vegas Resort Holdings, LLC had failed to pay at least $ 450,000 in licensing fees since November 2018. On June 28, 2019, The Meruelo Group and Alex Meruelo announced plans to rename
10168-743: The cause of Cuba Libre . After the Spanish–American War , some Cubans returned to their native land, but many chose to stay in the U.S. due to the physical and economic devastation caused by years of fighting on the island. Several other small waves of Cuban emigration to the U.S. occurred in the early 20th century (1900–1959). Most settled in Florida and the northeast U.S. The majority of an estimated 100,000 Cubans arriving in that time period usually came for economic reasons (the Great Depression of 1929, volatile sugar prices and migrant farm labor contracts), but included anti-Batista refugees fleeing
10292-566: The defending champs Chicago Bulls . Game 4, an 89–80 loss, would be the last game at The Omni. In 1997–98, forward Alan Henderson won Most Improved Player award. However, the Hawks would lose in four games in the first round of the playoffs to the Charlotte Hornets . The Hawks would end up with a 31-win campaign in the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season. In the first round they defeated the Pistons in five games again, but they could not advance past
10416-589: The draft rights of Mike Muscala and Lucas Nogueira (originally drafted by the Boston Celtics ), as well as guard Jared Cunningham . They also traded Ennis's draft rights to the Miami Heat and Neto's to the Utah Jazz for a future second-round pick. The Hawks brought back Kyle Korver with a four-year, $ 24 million deal and signed power forward Paul Millsap to a two-year, $ 19 million deal. On December 26, 2013, Horford tore his right pectoral muscle, and on December 30,
10540-565: The emigration of Canary Islanders (they developed the production of sugar in Cuba), and Cuban Spanish is closest to that of the Canary Islands. Canary Islanders were viewed by other Spanish-Cubans as superstitious but also hard-working. Some of Haiti's white population ( French ) migrated to Cuba after the Haitian War of Independence in the early 19th century. Also, minor but significant ethnic influx
10664-517: The first NBA team to 50 wins in 2014–15, scoring a season high in routing the Sacramento Kings 130–105. The Hawks also set a franchise record by going 20-of-36 for three-pointers, breaking the mark of 19 set against the Dallas Mavericks on December 17, 1996. On March 20, 2015, the Hawks clinched their first division title in over two decades and became the first team not based in Florida to win
10788-666: The first overall pick, their first since 1975 . The origins of the Atlanta Hawks can be traced back to the Buffalo Bisons franchise, which was founded in 1946. The Bisons were a member of the National Basketball League , and played their games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium . The club was organized by Leo Ferris and the Erie County American Legion and was coached by Nat Hickey . Their first game –
10912-522: The first phase of a massive sports, office, hotel, and retail complex, most of which is now the CNN Center . Also in 1972, the Hawks debuted a new logo and new colors, trading the green and blue color scheme that the team had used for two years, in favor of white, gold, and red, the same colors the Flames used. The hawk head silhouette inside a circle remained as the team's logo, albeit simplified. The years after
11036-539: The first time since 1998 that the Hawks sent two players to the All-Star Game. The playoffs, however, were a reprise from the previous year. They won a hard-fought seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks , but they were swept by the Orlando Magic in the second round, with every game a one-sided contest. After the season, the Hawks dismissed head coach Mike Woodson and was replaced by Larry Drew . The Hawks took
11160-593: The franchise's all-time leading scorer, to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danny Manning , who quickly left via free agency to the Phoenix Suns after the season ended. On March 6, 2015, Dominique Wilkins received a statue in front of Philips Arena. At the beginning of the 1994–95 season, the Hawks traded forward Kevin Willis to the Miami Heat for Steve Smith and Grant Long . During the season, coach Wilkens broke
11284-526: The immediate cessation of the wet feet, dry feet policy. The Cuban government agreed to accept the return of Cuban nationals. Beginning with the United States–Cuban Thaw in 2014, anticipation of the end of the policy had led to increased numbers of Cuban immigrants. In the census in 2022 there were 2,435,573 Cuban Americans, and in the 2010 census there were 1,785,547 (both native and foreign born), and represented 3.5% of all Latinos, and 0.58% of
11408-462: The largest Chinatown in Western Hemisphere as most Chinese Cubans left for Florida. The largest populations of Cubans are situated in the following metropolitan areas (Source: Census 2023): The top 25 US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Cuban ancestry are (all of which are in Florida while the top 22 are in Miami-Dade County ): For total 101 communities, see
11532-552: The league should he fail by the end of the window. Just 10 days prior, it was proclaimed that a bid for 110 acres (44.5 hectares) north of Phoenix at an upcoming land auction was still in the works. On April 17, 2024, the Coyotes played their final game before deactivation at Mullett Arena , beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 without Meruelo in attendance. On June 21, 2024, the Arizona State Land Department announced
11656-462: The military dictatorship, which had pro-U.S. diplomatic ties. During the '20s and '30s, emigration from Cuba to U.S. territory, basically comprised workers looking for jobs, mainly in New York and New Jersey. They were classified as labor migrants and workers, much like other immigrants in the area at that time. Thus migrated more than 40,149 in the first decade, encouraged by U.S. immigration facilities at
11780-496: The move showcased a talented Hawks team, including Pete Maravich and Lou Hudson . However, after this period of success, the team experienced some years of rebuilding. Despite appearing to be moving in the right direction when they ended up with the first and third picks overall in the 1975 NBA draft , the players drafted with those two picks, David Thompson of North Carolina State and Marvin Webster of Morgan State, both signed with
11904-628: The period of Spanish rule . Since 1820, the Cuban presence was more than 1,000 people. In 1870 the number of Cuban immigrants increased to almost 12,000, of which about 4,500 resided in New York City , about 3,000 in New Orleans and 2,000 in Key West . The causes of these movements were both economic and political, which intensified after 1860, when political factors played the predominant role in emigration, as
12028-492: The playoffs. For the 2007–08 season, the Atlanta Hawks updated the logos and uniforms that saw navy blue become the primary color, with red relegated to trim color status. This marked the first time in team history that they had used navy blue as one of their colors. A mid-season trade for point guard Mike Bibby boosted the Hawks' playoff hopes. At the time of the trade the Hawks were 22–28; afterwards, they won 15 of their last 32 games to finish 37–45. Although they finished with
12152-658: The previous year, the Hawks manage to take a step forward in their development. Again they were pushed to a Game 7 in the first round but capitalized on home-court advantage earning their first playoff series win since 1999 against the Miami Heat . The Hawks were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0 in the Conference Semifinals. The 2009–10 season saw the Hawks improve further, winning 53 games, their first 50-win season since 1997–98. Al Horford earned his first All-Star selection, and along with Joe Johnson, this marked
12276-465: The record (previously held by coach Red Auerbach ) for most victories by an NBA head coach with victory number 939. They ended up fifth in the Central Division with a 42–40 record, they would be swept by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. During the off-season, shot-blocking All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo signed a 5-year, $ 55 million deal with the Hawks. The Hawks finished
12400-454: The reference given. Top 20 U.S. communities with the most residents born in Cuba are (all of which are located within the Miami Florida area): According to the 2023 American Community Survey, there were 1,800,900 immigrants from Cuba in the US, the top counties of residence being: According to the 2017-2021 American Community Survey, there were 1,313,200 immigrants from Cuba in the US,
12524-599: The revolution were those affiliated with former dictator Fulgencio Batista , next were Cuba's professionals. Most Cuban Americans that arrived in the United States initially came from Cuba's educated upper and middle classes centered in Cuba's capital Havana. This middle class arose in the period after the Platt Amendment when Cuba became one of the most successful countries in Latin America. Between December 1960 and October 1962 more than 14,000 Cuban children arrived alone in
12648-456: The sale was approved by the NBA Board of Governors on June 24, 2015. On January 31, 2015, the Hawks became the first NBA team to go 17–0 in a calendar month by beating Portland. The 2015 All-Star Game consisted of four Hawks All-Stars including Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Al Horford. On March 9, 2015, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll each scored 20 points to help the Hawks become
12772-486: The season with a 25–57 record. In 2001, the Hawks drafted Spanish star Pau Gasol third, but his rights were ceded to the Memphis Grizzlies in a trade involving Shareef Abdur-Rahim . Abdur-Rahim became the team's scoring leader, and made his only All-Star appearance in 2002. The team ended up 33–49 for the 2001–02 season. The Hawks sent Kukoc to the Milwaukee Bucks for All-Star Glenn Robinson in 2002, Robinson lead
12896-406: The season, and without him, the Hawks were unable to make it to the playoffs. In 1992, the Hawks acquired guard Mookie Blaylock from the New Jersey Nets ; he would spend seven years of his career as a Hawk, leading them in career steals and three-point field goals while earning an All-Star appearance in 1994. After seasons of mediocrity, Lenny Wilkens was hired as head coach in 1993. In 1993–94 ,
13020-425: The second half of the 1890s marked the decline of the Cuban immigrant population, as an important part of it returned to the island to fight for independence. The War accentuated Cuban immigrant integration into American society, whose numbers were significant: more than 12,000 people. The population of Cuban Americans has experienced a surge in growth once again with the arrival of the 2021–23 Cuban migration wave to
13144-411: The second round of the playoffs, as they were swept by the eighth-seeded New York Knicks . In the 1999–2000 season , their first season at Philips Arena, the Hawks traded Steve Smith to Portland for Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson , and sent Mookie Blaylock and a first-round draft pick to the Golden State Warriors for Bimbo Coles and a first-round draft pick. Smith and Blaylock had been two of
13268-471: The state, especially in West Texas . California takes place as the third state with the highest Cuban American population with more than 100, 000 individuals in total, of whom 80,000 live in the Los Angeles area, San Diego area (10,000), Bay Area (up to 15,000) and many others spread out across Northern California and Central Valley, California . As of today, Florida , Texas and California are
13392-415: The summer of 2005, the Hawks completed a sign and trade deal with the Phoenix Suns to acquire Joe Johnson in return for Boris Diaw and two future 1st round picks. They also signed Zaza Pachulia from the Milwaukee Bucks . These changes occurred after an apparent power struggle between the owners for nearly three weeks before the moves were made. Despite their league-worst record the previous season,
13516-539: The team was based in St. Louis. Meanwhile, they went 48 years without advancing past the second round of the playoffs in any format, until finally breaking through in 2015. However, the Hawks are one of only four NBA teams that have qualified to play in the NBA playoffs in 10 consecutive seasons in the 21st century. They achieved this feat between 2008 and 2017. In the 2024 NBA draft , the Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with
13640-463: The team with 20.8 ppg. But the Hawks still failed to make the playoffs for the 2002–03 season, finishing with a 35–47 record. In February 2004, the Hawks had the distinction of having NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace play one game for the team. Wallace was traded from Portland to the Hawks along with Wesley Person for Abdur-Rahim, Ratliff, and Dan Dickau . In his lone game for the Hawks, Wallace scored 20 points, had 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and
13764-584: The team's general manager and co-owner, announced that the team would be moving to Moline, Illinois , which at that time was part of an area then known as the " Tri-Cities ": Moline, Illinois , Rock Island, Illinois , and Davenport, Iowa . Upon relocation to Moline, the team was renamed the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, and played their home games at Wharton Field House , a 6,000-seat arena in Moline. The team featured guard / forward and coach Deanglo King, and
13888-585: The three states with the highest concentration of Cuban Americans in the United States. Among other significant Cuban American populations is that of the Louisville area of Kentucky and nearby areas of Indiana which according to some sources is around 60,000 and growing quickly. Before the Louisiana Purchase and the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, Spanish Florida and other possessions of Spain on
14012-537: The time and more than 43,400 by the end of the 30s. The Cuban population officially registered in the United States for 1958 was around 125,000 people including descendants. Of these, more than 50,000 remained in the United States after the revolution of 1959. After the Cuban revolution led by Fidel Castro in 1959, a Cuban exodus began as the new government allied itself with the Soviet Union and began to introduce communism. The first Cubans to come to America after
14136-508: The top counties of residence being: Many Cuban Americans have assimilated themselves into the American culture, which includes Cuban influences. More recently, there has been substantial growth of new Cuban American communities in places like Louisville, Kentucky , the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, Katy, Texas , and Downey, California ; the latter city now has the second-highest percentage of Cubans and Cuban Americans in
14260-709: Was another wave of immigration known as the Freedom Flights. In order to provide aid to recently arrived Cuban immigrants, the United States Congress passed the Cuban Adjustment Act in 1966. The Cuban Refugee Program provided more than $ 1.3 billion of direct financial assistance. They also were eligible for public assistance , Medicare , free English courses, scholarships and low-interest college loans . Some banks pioneered loans for exiles who did not have collateral or credit but received help in getting
14384-403: Was instrumental in keeping both teams in the region. Coach Brown won coach of the year in 1978. In the 1979–80 season, the Hawks finished with a 50–32 record and won the Central Division. It was their first division title in the Central Division and second in the city of Atlanta. The next season, the Hawks got off to a 4–0 start, then lost 13 of the next 14 games and with 3 games left in the season,
14508-440: Was late for two games. After reports that he smoked marijuana in an Orlando hotel room during a January road trip, the league demanded that he attend drug counseling, and fined him a total of $ 200,000 until he agreed to go. When he showed up late for a March game, the Hawks released him. The Smith/Rider trade sent the Hawks into a downward spiral. After only missing the playoffs four times since 1977, they fell to seventh place in
14632-479: Was motivated by valid business concerns. On January 2, 2015, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the remaining minority owners of Atlanta Hawks, LLC would join Levenson, effectively putting the entire franchise for sale. The sale of the team as well as the operating rights to Philips Arena was handled by Goldman Sachs and Inner Circle Sports LLC. The NBA has stated that the Hawks would remain in Atlanta as
14756-447: Was not particularly attractive to Cubans prior to the 1960s. It was not until the exodus of the Cuban exiles in 1959 that Miami started to become a preferred destination. Westchester within Miami-Dade County , was the area most densely populated by Cubans and Cuban Americans in the United States, followed by Hialeah in second. Communities like Miami, Tampa and Union City, which Cuban Americans have made their home, have experienced
14880-443: Was not willing to move the team there full-time because it had not been well-maintained since the 1940s. Even though it was being heavily renovated to accommodate the arrival of the National Hockey League 's (NHL) St. Louis Blues in 1967, Kerner was still not willing to move to the St. Louis Arena. He wanted a new arena to increase revenue. However, Kerner was rebuffed by the city on several occasions. In early 1967, Kerner briefly put
15004-514: Was owned by Leo Ferris and Ben Kerner . Pop Gates remained on the Blackhawks roster, and finished second on the team in scoring behind future 1949 NBL MVP Don Otten . A Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member, Gates helped to integrate the league and later became the first African-American coach in a major sports league, coaching Dayton in 1948. In 1949, the Blackhawks became one of the National Basketball Association 's 17 original teams after
15128-399: Was that a new arena had to be in place before the new team took the ice for the first time, as The Omni was unusable even for temporary use. Eventually, it was decided that The Omni would be demolished and a new arena for the Hawks and the expansion NHL Thrashers would be built on the same area. Following the 1997 playoffs, the Hawks moved back to Georgia Tech's Alexander Memorial Coliseum, with
15252-470: Was the first time they had advanced past the second round since 1967, their second-last year in St. Louis. The Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, when they lost in four games to the Cleveland Cavaliers . On June 22, 2016, the Hawks traded Jeff Teague to Indiana in a three-team deal, that would give Utah's 12th pick in the 2016 NBA draft to
15376-589: Was waived a month later. The Hawks finished the 2011–12 season with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference with 40 wins, clinching the playoffs for the fifth straight season. However, the Hawks would be eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics in six games, ending the Hawks' three-year streak of advancing to the second round. On June 25, 2012, the Hawks hired San Antonio Spurs Vice President of Basketball Operations Danny Ferry as President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. During
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