Cuban-American Set To Be First Latino NBA Team Owner In History

By Michael Lopez

Talk about a success story. Alex Meruelo, the son of Cuban immigrants, is now set to become the first Latino NBA team owner in history. This Monday, the deal for him to purchase the Atlanta Hawks was officially announced and when it came time for Alex to take the podium, emotions ran high.

"It means a lot," a tearful Meruelo said. "Me being Hispanic, being first is really touching…I hope to do the right thing. I just want to make sure I make them proud."

Completely self-made, Alex earned his fortune with the launch of the popular La Pizza Loca restaurant chain. Founded in 1986, his quick-serve pepperoni slices caught on like wildfire. Eventually he was able to franchise out his business to 50 locations and expanded his financial portfolio to include commercial real estate.

Now Meruelo has vowed to bring an NBA trophy to Atlanta. And frankly, the Hawks are due for some championship rings at the moment. The last time the team won a title was back in 1958, though they did make it to the Semifinals last season.

Though Alex's deal isn't exactly finalized, he is set to take a controlling interest in the Hawks and oversee operating rights at Philips Arena. No exact numbers were released as of yet, but Meruelo did recently purchase a Nevada casino for $42 million, so we're sure he has plenty of cash.

When asked about his strategy on making the team more successful, he said in Spanish,

"I'm not the best, but I'll do my best. I will work my tail off."

Of course the big question that came up was how devoted to the Hawks Alex really was. Seeing how he was raised in Los Angeles and still has his headquarters there, many wondered if he is actually a closet Laker fan.

Assuring everyone in the room, he said,

"I'm a Hawks fan, 1,000-percent Hawks fan."

It all sounds good to us and we get the feeling that Atlanta residents will be pleased with the deal too. Not only will Meruelo breathe new life into the team, he may also throw in some free pizza slices for the die-hard fans.

Are you excited to see a Latino NBA team owner? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Alex Meruelo, Atlanta Hawks, basketball, Blogger: Michael Lopez, Cultura, Hawks, NBA, Sports