Although Danny Ferry was one of the most decorated basketball players in Duke University history and the second overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, he wasn't able to maximize his skills. He served primarily as a solid reserve for most of his 13-year NBA career.
A 6'10" forward who had a sweet touch from beyond the arc, where he made 39.3 percent of his career attempts, Ferry had his best years, statistics-wise, with the Cleveland Cavaliers , before winning his first and only championship in his final season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs .
Unfortunately for Ferry, one of the things he's remembered for was the inflammatory comments he made about Sudanese forward Luol Deng during a conference call with the Atlanta Hawks ' ownership group in 2014. With the Hawks interested in pursuing the two-time All-Star and defensive ace, co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. said Ferry, who was the team's general manager, told them that Deng "has a little African in him."
Not long after that conference call ended, Gearon immediately called for Ferry's head, demanding that he either tender his resignation or face the indignity of being fired. Gearon, in a letter addressed to fellow co-owner Bruce Levenson, alleged that Danny also said this about Luol: "Not in a bad way, but he's like a guy who would have a nice store out front and sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back."
"Ferry completed the racial slur by describing the player (and impliedly all persons of African descent) as a two-faced liar and cheat," Gearon furiously claimed .
Hawks CEO Steve Koonin, however, stuck with Ferry after a thorough investigation by law firm Alston and Bird found that the former player-turned-team executive did not have any ill intent or malicious motives. Danny, though, was levied an unspecified disciplinary action.
"I took their advice and far exceeded their advice," Koonin said. "I certainly understand that emotion. I know people who have said that to me. But if we sentence people based on what everybody wanted, we wouldn't have a justice system."
"I listened to what (the law firm) said because they had done the work ... so that's a decision I'm willing to live with," he added.
Ferry did not take long to reach out to his fellow Blue Devil and express his sincere apologies. Danny also issued a public statement clarifying that the comments he made were not his own. Instead, these were comments that were culled from various sources.
"In regards to the insensitive remarks that were used during our due diligence process, I was repeating comments that were gathered from numerous sources during background conversations and scouting about different players," Ferry remarked.
"I repeated those comments during a telephone conversation reviewing the draft and free agency process. Those words do not reflect my views, or words that I would use to describe an individual and I certainly regret it. I apologize to those I offended and to Luol, who I reached out to Monday morning," he stressed.
Deng, who eventually signed with the Miami Heat , also stated that he harbored no ill feelings toward Ferry. Luol emphasized that he has accepted Danny's apology and has since moved on from the incident.
"I think one of the hardest things to do as a human being, and it's something we should do more often, is forgive," Deng said . "I really do forgive Danny. It's not something I want to hold onto for the rest of my career or the rest of my life."
Ferry's tenure with the Hawks ended because of that incident. After taking indefinite leave, he and the franchise reached a buyout agreement.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
