(Updates with confirmation of deal, comment from Ressler)
By Rich McKay
ATLANTA, April 22 (Reuters) - The NBA's Atlanta Hawks are set to be sold to a group led by businessman Tony Ressler, the team announced on Wednesday, in a deal precipitated by the release last year of a racially charged email by the team's current owner.
The deal, which must be approved by the NBA Board of Governors, comes after the team's majority owner, Bruce Levenson, put it on the market after an email he sent to team officials complaining of black fans driving down white attendance at games became public.