<p>A battle for power among the Atlanta Hawks' owners is headed to a Boston courtroom next week, overshadowing attempts for offseason improvement by the team with the fewest wins in the NBA last season.</p><p>One of the team's owners, Steve Belkin of Boston, has obtained a restraining order which prevents his co-owners from removing him from as the team's NBA governor.</p><p>As the NBA governor of the Atlanta Spirit LLC group, which also owns the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and operating rights to Philips Arena, Belkin must sign off on the Hawks' trades.</p><p>Belkin's refusal to approve the team's sign-and-trade deal for guard Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns prompted the rift among the owners.</p><p>The restraining order obtained in a Boston court Thursday prevents the other owners from following through with plans to vote Belkin out as NBA governor. A hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston.</p><p>"Some of my fellow co-owners took action to prevent me from doing what I believe is in the best interests of the franchise, consistent with my role as NBA governor," Belkin said Thursday. "There was no other option but to seek legal protection."</p><p>On Friday, Belkin stressed in a statement released to The Associated Press that he did not object to the five-year contract offer for Johnson valued at about $70 million, including about $20 million for the first year of the deal, making Johnson the team's highest-paid player.</p><p>Instead, Belkin said he consistently told other owners that he did not approve of the trade offer to the Suns _ two first-round picks, second-year guard Boris Diaw and a $4.9 million trade exception.</p><p>Belkin released Friday's statement in an apparent effort to answer criticism that his objection to the trade came late in the negotiations with the Suns or was unexpected by the other owners or Billy Knight, the team's general manager.</p><p>"I have consistently supported signing Joe Johnson for the Hawks and approved the contract terms proposed by Billy Knight as in the best interests of the Hawks," Belkin said in Friday's statement.</p><p>"However, I made it clear to my co-owners and others involved in our organization last week prior to as well as during the first ownership discussion of a possible sign-and-trade that, as NBA governor, I did not approve of the sign-and-trade proposals for Joe Johnson that some suggested we make or accept."</p><p>Belkin also said "It is unfortunate that the terms of these unauthorized proposals have been disclosed publicly."</p><p>Atlanta Spirit LLC chief executive officer Bernie Mullin said Friday the deal with the Suns can't be finalized until the dispute is settled with the owners.</p><p>"I think the dispute has to be settled Tuesday in Boston first," Mullin said.</p><p>"I have had discussions with the Phoenix management and at this point in time they have indicated they are willing to be patient. We hope they are.</p><p>"It's certainly a primary focus of our organization to get Joe Johnson in an Atlanta Hawks uniform. This organization wants Joe Johnson. That's not in dispute. The only dispute is how much to give back to Phoenix."</p><p>Gearon and fellow owner Bruce Levenson also said they remained confident the deal will go through, despite Belkin's stance.</p><p>Said Gearon: "Am I confident? Yeah, I am confident. We'll see. I think we'll work through it."</p><p>Belkin, based in Boston, holds a 30 percent stake in the nine-man Atlanta Spirit LLC ownership group. The Washington-based owners, including Levenson and Ed Peskowitz, own 40 percent. The Atlanta-based owners, including Michael Gearon Jr. and Rutherford Seydel, own 30 percent.</p><p>The current dispute is not the first sign of disharmony between Belkin and the other owners.</p><p>Belkin, Gearon and Levenson had to meet with NBA commissioner David Stern and a league committee in April to discuss discord within the partnership.</p><p>Last October, Belkin was fined $250,000 by the NHL for telling a newspaper the league would use replacement players this year if a new collective bargaining agreement wasn't reached.</p><p>The restraining order was first reported Friday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.</p><p>Gearon told the paper "We will not allow that to deter us from building a winning team in Atlanta."</p>
