An audio clip of Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry making racially insensitive remarks about Miami Heat forward Luol Deng surfaced on Thursday. In the audio, obtained via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ferry does not indicate he's reading from a scouting report.
The racially insensitive remarks Ferry said aloud during a June conference call trickled out during the week. Ferry apologized for making the remarks, but he insisted he only read what was in a free agent background report on Deng, whom the Hawks were considering signing.
Adrian Wajnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported earlier in the week the audio clip he heard of Ferry didn't sound like Ferry was reading from a report, and the Journal-Constitution's clip seems to support that notion.
Wojnarowski published a partial transcript on Wednesday that contained more remarks, including:
"... For example, (Deng) can come out and be an unnamed source for a story and two days later come out and say, 'That absolutely was not me. I can't believe somebody said that.' But talking to reporters, you know they can [believe it]. ...
"Good guy in Chicago. They will tell you he was good for their culture, but not a culture setter. He played hard and all those things, but he was very worried about his bobble-head being the last one given away that year, or there was not enough stuff of him in the [team] store ... kind of a complex guy."
The Hawks have since disciplined Ferry, but the team did not disclose what it entailed. NBA commissioner Adam Silver also indicated he did not believe Ferry committed an offense worthy of termination, and Ferry appears to have no intention of stepping down.
