Magic Johnson said that Hawks general manager Danny Ferry deserves a second chance after the two held a lengthy meeting Tuesday. The Hall of Famer took to social media later in the day to state his case.
Johnson was one of several high-profile people that immediately called for Ferry to be fired after it was revealed that he used a racist comment to describe free agent Luol Deng in a conference call with ownership and management in June. Ferry has stated that he was reading from a background report. He was disciplined by the organization but later requested and was granted an indefinite leave of absence.
Johnson sent out a series of posts on Twitter following the meeting. They read:
* “Just had a heart to heart meeting w/ Hawks GM Danny Ferry! He apologized for his comments about Luol Deng & the African American community.”
* “In our meeting Danny Ferry’s apology was very sincere.”
* “I have a lot of respect for Danny because he called and wanted to talk about how his comments offended so many people.”
* “After our long meeting, I think he deserves a second chance whether it is with the Hawks or another team.”
Ferry, who has been on leave since Sept. 12, did not immediately return a message. His leave of absence has been one part of the latest controversy to rock the Hawks organization. Controlling owner Bruce Levenson and his Washington, D.C. partners have agreed to sell their stake in the team after a racially inflammatory email written by Levenson in 2012 was discovered as part on an investigation into Ferry’s comment.
Johnson also tweeted his advice that Hawks CEO Steve Koonin hire Dominique Wilkins as a high-level executive with the team. Wilkins currently serves as Vice President of Basketball and as the team’s broadcast analyst.
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