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NBA roundup: Ferry apologizes for comments
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry issued an apology for reading culturally insensitive remarks about Luol Deng in a June conference call.
Ferry, who said he was reading from the player’s background report, said this of Deng, a fellow Duke alumnus and native of Sudan: “He has a little African in him, not in a bad way, but he’s a guy who would have a nice store out front, but sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back.”
On Tuesday, Ferry released the apology after first trying to reach Deng. That was part of a chain of events that led to Hawks majority owner Bruce Levenson putting his controlling interest in the team up for sale. Levenson announced Sunday that he would sell his share in the team because of the “inappropriate and offensive” internal email sent in 2012 regarding the lack of white fans at Philips Arena.
The nature of the Ferry’s discipline was not disclosed by the team. While Levenson appears on the way out, Ferry will remain the team’s general manager.
—Detroit Pistons forward-center Greg Monroe received a two-game suspension without pay from the NBA on Tuesday after he pleased guilty to driving while visibly impaired in violation of Michigan state law.
Monroe will sit out the first two games of the 2014-15 regular season.
The Pistons just signed Monroe to a one-year qualifying offer Monday. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the Detroit Free Press reported that the deal is worth $5.5 million. Monroe, the seventh overall pick by the Pistons in the 2010 draft, averaged 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 32.8 minutes in a career-high 82 games (all starts) last season.
—Shawn Marion and the Cleveland Cavaliers confirmed Tuesday that the veteran forward signed with the team.
Reports surfaced in August that Marion and the Cavs had reached a one-year contract agreement. On Tuesday morning, Marion wrote “done deal” on an Instagram post and the Cavs followed with an official announcement.
The 36-year-old Marion started 76 games for the Dallas Mavericks last season and averaged 10.4 points while shooting 48 percent from the field. He was attracted to Cleveland by the chance to play with LeBron James, who was signed by the Cavaliers in the offseason. Marion is expected to be a sub off the bench for the Cavs.
