Report: Atlanta Hawks owner called for Danny Ferry to resign

The Atlanta Hawks are in deep, deep trouble, and Danny Ferry could be the latest individual in major turmoil.

According to a report from Zach Klein of WSB-TV, Hawks owner Michael Gearon Jr. called for the resignation of Ferry amid the controversy surrounding his words that described Luol Deng during a conference call in June.

"In the letter, Gearon is quoted as saying “We are calling on you, as majority owner and NBA governor, to take swift and severe action against general manager Danny Ferry. Our advisors tell us there is no other choice to ask for Ferry’s resignation and if he refuses, to terminate him for cause under his employment contract.”"

In the midst of Klein’s report, he uncovers the letter written by Gearon to controlling partner Bruce Levenson, and in that letter, he outlines the objections of Ferry’s comments. Earlier in the week, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin indicated that Ferry’s racially-charged comments about Luol Deng were the result of a prepared report by a non-Hawks staffer, but in Gearon’s letter, there is no mention of such a distinction.

While we don’t know the full details, Ferry’s resignation (or firing) should be imminent if the words actually came from his own consciousness, and even if they did not, the Hawks general manager is now painted in a very difficult light.

Stay tuned for more information as it surfaces, but the Atlanta Hawks are in a downward spiral.