Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young does not believe Danny Ferry is a racist and that he should return to his job as Hawks general manager.
Young, the civil rights leader, pastor, former Georgia congressman and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, said if he were running the Hawks, Ferry, the team’s embattled general manager, would have never left the organization.
“Hell, no,” Young said when asked whether Ferry should lose his job. “We’ve got a good team, we’ve got a good general manager. We just need to get a unified ownership and I hope that ownership is grounded in Atlanta.”
Young made his remarks in an interview with Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday.
Ferry is on an indefinite leave of absence after making racially insensitive comments about free agent Luol Deng during a conference call with ownership and management in June.
Those remarks sparked an internal investigation that discovered an email sent by team controlling owner Bruce Levenson that contained racist comments about, in part, the makeup of the Hawks fan base and game operations. Levenson subsequently announced his intention to sell his interest in the team in September, the offseason controversy rocking the franchise.
Days later, Ferry took the leave. Last month, all Hawks ownership groups agreed to sell their shares in the team and Philips Arena. The sales process is ongoing.
Young was asked what he would say to those unwilling to forgive Ferry and who do not wish to see him return to his old job.
“The Bible says if you can’t forgive, there is something about you that you can’t forgive,” Young said. “And because there is something about you that you can’t forgive, that’s going to make it difficult for you to receive the grace and mercy of God. So in order to get God’s grace and mercy, you’ve got to be willing to give it.”
Young said he is speaking out at the urging of friends who believe Ferry is “getting a bad deal.” Young said Wayne Embry, the first African-American general manager in the NBA, was one of the people who has spoken with him.
The Hawks return from the NBA All-Star break Friday with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 43-11. They had a franchise record 19-game win streak. Four Hawks players and the entire coaching staff were a part of the All-Star weekend in New York City. The city and state have embraced the Hawks for their on-court success as one of the best stories in the NBA this season.
While Ferry has declined public comment since taking his leave of absence, Young said he has spoken to Ferry several times since the controversy.
“We talk about his family and the fact his family loves Atlanta and how they’ve moved around all the time and his kids are now teenagers and they want to stay in Atlanta and I can’t blame them,” Young said. “This is the best place in the world to raise a child and I think whatever he did or did not do, a good ownership team would keep him, listen to him and work with him.
“Danny Ferry is too talented a guy and his life is basketball. He’s going to be general manager somewhere. I hope it’s Atlanta.”
About the Author
