In the statement, Ferry attributed his usage of the phrase “still has some African in him” in regard to Deng as repetition of the phrasing others had used.
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“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," he began.
“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.”
Ferry acknowledged that the words Hawks CEO/owner Bruce Levenson chose in the text of a racially insensitve email were offensive, calling them “disturbing and disappointing,” and that he is “commited to learning from the situation.”
Source: Atlanta Hawks
