Al Horford unsure Danny Ferry should be forgiven for racial comments

Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Al Horford says he is unsure about the possible return of general manager Danny Ferry.

Ferry has been on indefinite leave of absence since September, when an audio recording of him discussing free-agent-to-be Luol Deng emerged. Ferry was heard saying, "[Deng is] a good guy overall but he's not perfect. He's got some African in him. And I don't say that in a bad way."

When asked by the Miami Herald if Ferry should be forgiven for his racial comments, Horford said, “I don’t know.”

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Last month, Horford said Ferry "made a mistake" and believes that the team would welcome him back should he return to the Hawks.

Deng was traded last season from the Chicago Bulls to the Cleveland Cavaliers and eventually signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Miami Heat.

The team's owners said last month that they plan on selling their shares in the franchise.

“Whichever ownership comes in, they’re going to have to figure those things out and see if he’s the best fit,” Horford added. “Obviously, [Ferry] has laid in some really good groundwork with us, and part of the success that we’re having is because of him.”

The Hawks (43-11) have the Eastern Conference's best record and a 6.5 game-lead over second-place Toronto.

Horford, a three-time All-Star, is averaging 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 rebounds this season.

- Scooby Axson