It has been a tumultuous few months for the NBA.
Former Los Angeles Clippers' owner Donald Sterling opened up a summer mired in controversy with his racist comments to then-girlfriend V. Stiviano. The recorded conversation ultimately led to his expulsion from the league by Duke alumnus and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Sterling's case would not be an isolated incident. Atlanta Hawks' owner Bruce Levenson and GM Danny Ferry are now on the hot seat following two separate situations in which they issued racially-charged statements to fellow higher-ups in the franchise. Ferry, who is a former Duke power forward, aimed his remarks at former Blue Devil and current Miami Heat forward Luol Deng, who issued a response Tuesday evening.
The entire situation unraveled Sunday morning, when news broke that Levenson self-reported an email sent in 2012. The email outlined the issues the franchise was facing—namely being able to sell merchandise and fill seats for every game. It seemingly put the blame on the fact that the audience was predominantly African-American, saying "southern whites" were uncomfortable attending games due to being the minority.
An excerpt from the email:
"I have been open with our executive team about these concerns. I have told them I want some white cheerleaders and while i don’t care what the color of the artist is, i want the music to be music familiar to a 40 year old white guy if that’s our season tixs demo. i have also balked when every fan picked out of crowd to shoot shots in some time out contest is black. I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black."
Some, including former Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a piece for Time Magazine, claimed the email—though cringe-worthy at times—was not racist and rather a businessman discussing how to get the most out of his franchise. Despite these opinions, both Levenson and the NBA had already decided by Sunday evening that it would be in everyone's best interests if he sold his share in the team.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution released the full email, which can be read here.
Once again, the issue was still far from over.
Late Monday night, another email surfaced, this one involving the Hawks' President of Basketball Operations/General Manager and former Duke point guard Danny Ferry.
This piece was sent June 12, 2014 by Hawks minority owner Michael Gearon Jr. on behalf of his fellow partners at SSG Group, LLC to Levenson in response to several comments Ferry made about fellow Blue Devil and then-free agent Luol Deng on a conference call:
"With respect to one potential free agent, a highly-regarded African-American player and humanitarian, Ferry talked about the player's good points, and then went on to describe his negatives, stating that "he has a little African in him. Not in a bad way, but he's like a guy who would have a nice store out front but sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back." Ferry completed the racial slur by describing the player (and impliedly, all persons of African decent) as a two-faced liar and cheat."
Gearon would go on to call for Ferry's resignation or termination. You can read the full email here:
The Hawks released the following statement from Ferry Tuesday morning in response to the backlash:
“In regards to the insensitive remarks that were used during our due diligence process, I was repeating comments that were gathered from numerous sources during background conversations and scouting about different players. I repeated those comments during a telephone conversation reviewing the draft and free agency process. Those words do not reflect my views, or words that I would use to describe an individual and I certainly regret it. I apologize to those I offended and to Luol, who I reached out to Monday morning.
In terms of the email that Bruce sent, the situation is disturbing and disappointing on many levels and I understand Bruce's words were offensive.
I am committed to learning from this and deeply regret this situation. I fully understand we have work to do in order to help us create a better organization; one that our players and fans will be proud of, on and off the court, and that is where my focus is moving forward.”
It is still unclear whether Ferry’s comments are his own or if he repeated them from others. But that really should not matter, as Ferry deemed them worthy enough to mention on a conference call with other human beings. The comments have received the public backlash Gearon predicted and Ferry's days as an NBA executive are surely numbered.
But at this point, with all the dust starting to settle, a closer look at just who it was Ferry was belittling will lead only to more anger and confusion.
Deng's life story has been well-documented. Amid civil unrest in his home country of Sudan, he and his family left for Egypt and then England. Deng transferred to Briar Academy in New Jersey at 16, establishing himself as one of the top forwards in the world. It was there that he drew the attention of the Blue Devil coaching staff. He was recruited by and played for Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, same as Ferry, and averaged 15.1 points per game in his lone season as a Blue Devil. In the 10 years since his departure to the NBA, Deng has been an All-NBA Rookie, two-time All-Star and All-NBA Defensive Second-Team.
Deng has also been awarded the NBA Sportsmanship Award, UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award and most recently, the 2014 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Deng issued a response Tuesday that is being hailed as clear representation of why the former Blue Devil is noted as one of the better off-court personalities in the league:
"HE HAS A LITTLE AFRICAN IN HIM"
"These words were recently used to describe me. It would ordinarily make any African parent proud to hear their child recognized for their heritage.
"I'm proud to say I actually have a lot of African in me, not just "a little". For my entire life, my identity has been a source of pride and strength. Among my family and friends, in my country of South Sudan and across the broader continent of Africa, I can think of no greater privilege than to do what I love for a living while also representing my heritage on the highest stage. Unfortunately, the comment about my heritage was not made with the same respect and appreciation.
"Concerning my free agency, the focus should purely have been on my professionalism and my ability as an athlete. Every person should have the right to be treated with respect and evaluated as an individual, rather than be reduced to a stereotype. I am saddened and disappointed that this way of thinking still exists today. I am even more disturbed that it was shared so freely in a business setting.
"However, there is comfort in knowing that there are people who aren't comfortable with it and have the courage to speak up. In the same way a generalization should not define a group of people, the attitude of a few should not define a whole organization or league.
"Ultimately, I'm thankful to be with an organization that appreciates me for who I am and has gone out of its way to make me feel welcome."
Deng signed a two-year, $20-million deal with the Miami Heat this offseason and will join fellow Duke alumnus Josh McRoberts in South Beach.
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