It hasn’t been a good week for the Atlanta Hawks. News that there was a pattern of racism throughout the organization spread like wildfire, and an audio tape of GM Danny Ferry speaking about Luol Deng, in what some felt was a pejorative manner, was released to the public. One of Deng’s friends and former teammates, Kyle Korver, spoke with reporters and said that Deng himself confirmed to him that he has no ill will towards the Hawks organization and doesn’t think Danny Ferry is racist at all.
“Yeah we did speak. Luol is such a good guy. And he’s been through so much in life that I don’t really think this has really even phased him. He told me that he didn’t think that Danny or anyone with the Hawks was racist. He said he was shocked when he heard what was said, but that sometimes things just slip out. It was pretty amazing, really. He just wants everything to move on. He wants to get back to basketball.”
That’s pretty big of Luol Deng, since the public outrage was immediately calling for Ferry’s head on the chopping block. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has also said he didn’t think any of Ferry’s comments were racist, either.
[h/t Fansided]