DANNY FERRY TIMELINE
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
2012
June 25: Danny Ferry is hired as President and General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, signing a six-year, $18 million deal.
2014
June 6: During a conference call with ownership and management about of number of topics, including potential free-agent targets, Ferry makes racially insensitive remarks about Luol Deng.
June 12: Controlling owner Bruce Levenson receives a letter from co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. complaining about the remarks and asking that Ferry by fired.
June 13: An independent investigation is begun by the law firm Alston and Bird. During the investigation a number of e-mails, interviews and documents are reviewed. A 2012 email from Levenson containing racist remarks about the fan base and game operations is discovered and reported to the NBA.
Sept. 7: Levenson announces his intention to sell his stake in the franchise due to the email.
Sept. 8: The complaint letter by Gearon is made public.
Sept. 9: Ferry responds to the investigation and insists he was reading from a scouting report on Deng when he made his comments.
Sept. 10: Hawks ownership is briefed, by phone and in person, of the results of the investigation.
Sept. 11: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtains and publishes a partial recording of the conference call in which Ferry made his comments.
Sept. 12: The AJC obtains and publishes a copy of the scouting report. Later in the day, the Hawks announce that Ferry asked for and was granted a leave of absence. Head coach Mike Budenholzer is appointed to lead the basketball operations staff.
2015
April 25: An agreement of purchase is announced for the sale of the Hawks and Philips Arena to a group led by billionaire Tony Ressler. The sale will be finalized on Wednesday.
June 19: The AJC reports that a buyout agreement with Ferry was approved by a board of managers meeting. Ferry agreed to the terms and signed it only hours earlier at approximately 2 a.m.
June 20: The AJC obtains copies of letters written by Bernard Taylor, who led the Alston and Bird investigation, and co-owner Todd Foreman clearing Ferry of racial bias.
June 22: The buyout of Ferry is officially announced, ending his tenure with the team. The terms of the agreement are not announced but Ferry will receive substantially more money than was on the remainder of his contract.
The Danny Ferry era came to an official end Monday. The embattled Hawks general manager said he is ‘relieved’ and took full responsibility for comments that ultimately led to his departure after a nearly year-long controversy.
The Hawks announced the two parties parted ways after they agreed to a buyout of the six-year, $18 million deal that Ferry signed as President and General Manager in 2012. The departure came three days shy of his three-year anniversary with the franchise. Terms of the buyout were not disclosed as part of the legal procedure in coming to the resolution.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the agreement was reached and approved Friday. Ferry will receive a monetary settlement substantially more than he was owed. There are also agreements in place that neither the Hawks nor Ferry would publicly disparage one another.
Ferry had been on an indefinite leave of absence since September. The leave followed racially insensitive remarks Ferry made about free-agent target Luol Deng during a conference call with ownership and management last June.
On Saturday, the AJC obtained and published two letters that cleared Ferry of racial animus - one from the law firm that conducted an independent investigation and the other from co-owner Todd Foreman.
“The words I used from the scouting report came out of my mouth and they were totally inappropriate,” Ferry told the AJC Monday following the announcement. “I am deeply sorry and take full responsibility.”
Ferry said it was critical to clear his name and for people to realize that he built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty.
The buyout was done and is the financial responsibility of the ownership group known as the Atlanta Spirit. The group is selling the franchise and Philips Arena to a group led by billionaire Tony Ressler. The transaction will be finalized on Wednesday.
The timing of the buyout was not coincidental, according to Ferry.
“I was told I needed to settle my contract with the current ownership group before the team changed hands,” he said. “This resolution is the best outcome for the new owners, for the Hawks and for me.”
Ferry was largely responsible for building a Hawks team that set several franchise records on its way to the Eastern Conference finals this season – all done with Ferry on the sidelines.
Guard Kent Bazemore posted three crying Emojis on Twitter upon news of the buyout Friday. He confirmed his post was related to the new of Ferry’s imminent departure.
“It’s an unfortunate situation for Mr. Ferry, a GM that will still be respected around this league because of what he was done here in Atlanta,” Bazemore told the AJC. “However, I am 100 percent behind coach (Mike Budenholzer) and our new ownership group. I feel very positive about the direction we are headed in as a team and as an organization.”
Ferry said the Hawks asked him to take the leave of absence and that he agreed to the separation because of the emotional charge of the situation and the dispute between ownership.
“As time went on, the Hawks asked me to remain on the sidelines until the team was sold,” Ferry said. “I had no idea it would take as long as it did. I wanted the focus to be on the team and the players.”
Ferry maintained he was reading from a scouting report when he made the comments about Deng, saying among other things that he “had some African in him.” He also said he indicated several times he thought the Hawks should pursue Deng. Ferry revealed Monday that he and Budenholzer visited Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, under who Ferry and Deng play at different times, to convince the coach to sign Deng. Deng eventually signed with the Heat.
In a statement of his departure, CEO Steve Koonin said, “This season has proved two things. First, Danny Ferry is a tremendous GM. Danny was the principal architect of the Hawks’ success in Atlanta. From the hiring of Coach Bud to reinventing the roster, Danny’s vision has put us in the tremendous place we are today. Danny acted with integrity and professionalism as he guided the organization through important changes over the last few years. Second, Danny Ferry is not a racist. Danny showed great leadership in stepping aside in the fall so the season could proceed with as few distractions as possible. He has always put the team first despite the great personal difficulties he endured. Now that the team has identified new ownership, the resolution of Danny’s contract with existing ownership is appropriate. We wish Danny and his family only the best moving forward.”
During Ferry’s absence, Budenholzer assumed responsibility for basketball operations. He will reportedly be named president at some point following the completion of the team sale.
“Building a successful team takes more than attracting a few stars,” Budenholzer said in a statement. “It is about finding the right combination of talent and teamwork to become an unbeatable combination. Danny’s vision and decision-making shaped the team that fans celebrate on the court today.”
