Danny Ferry stepped down as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks on Monday after a 10-month leave of absence following the public release of him making racist remarks.
Ferry made the first public statement regarding his remarks since last August when he began his indefinite leave at the team's request following Ferry's comments being made public.
Ferry made comments in a conference call with team owners that contained racial remarks regarding Britain's Luol Deng, who was being evaluated as a free agent prospect.
In the call last June, Ferry described Deng as a player who "has a little African in him," and also said, "He's like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back."
Ferry and the Hawks say his comments were being read from a scouting report prepared by another person.
"While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty," Ferry said.
"Now that the key facts have been made known, I am making the difficult decision to step away from this team and this special group of players. I have seen how gracious and forgiving people can be –- especially Luol, who had every right to be hurt and angry after being brought into this situation. I thank him for his forgiveness and support....
The Hawks went 60-22 last season, the second-best record in the NBA to eventual playoff champion Golden State. Atlanta lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.
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http://news.yahoo.com/ferry-steps-down-hawks-gm-racist-remarks-172942681--nba.html
Ferry made the first public statement regarding his remarks since last August when he began his indefinite leave at the team's request following Ferry's comments being made public.
Ferry made comments in a conference call with team owners that contained racial remarks regarding Britain's Luol Deng, who was being evaluated as a free agent prospect.
In the call last June, Ferry described Deng as a player who "has a little African in him," and also said, "He's like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back."
Ferry and the Hawks say his comments were being read from a scouting report prepared by another person.
"While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty," Ferry said.
"Now that the key facts have been made known, I am making the difficult decision to step away from this team and this special group of players. I have seen how gracious and forgiving people can be –- especially Luol, who had every right to be hurt and angry after being brought into this situation. I thank him for his forgiveness and support....
The Hawks went 60-22 last season, the second-best record in the NBA to eventual playoff champion Golden State. Atlanta lost to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.
....
http://news.yahoo.com/ferry-steps-down-hawks-gm-racist-remarks-172942681--nba.html
