That and more in Tuesday's NBA newsletter.
Good morning. Let's ... basketball.
A HEAPING PILE OF W.T.F.: Would you guess the Hawks Saga would get weirder? IT GOT WEIRDER. An email from the co-franchisee who took issue with Danny Ferry's gross Luol Deng scouting report got leaked. The email complains to ousted controlling franchise owner Bruce Levenson about Ferry's language, and includes a fuller quote than has been shared previously. And that quote ...
On the subject of Deng, Ferry said "he has a little African in him, not in a bad way, but he's a guy who would have a nice store out front, but sell you counterfeit stuff out of the back." Gearon's letter continues "Ferry completed the racial slur by describing the player (and impliedly, all persons of African descent) as a two-faced liar and cheat."
The claim that Ferry was just reading a scouting report always sounded fishy, and given the full quote it's even crazier that a guy like Ferry would read it out loud on a conference call without apologizing for it or otherwise commenting on its horrid wrongness. (We're talking about Luol Deng.) But Ferry is sticking to his guns. It's worth noting that audio existed at one time and may still be around.
Jason Walker of SB Nation's Peachthree Hoops thinks the Ferry Era is over.
Civil rights leaders have requested a meeting with Hawks brass.
I wrote about how the Levenson precedent could impact the NBA long-term.
Legal expert Michael McCann compares Levenson to Donald Sterling.
J.A. Adande makes a damn good point, per usual.
ONTO THE NEXT: Two FIBA World Cup games on Tuesday. Lithuania faces Turkey at 11 a.m. ET, and the United States plays Slovenia at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. Winners will meet in the semis.
CHICOS DE ORO:Ed Maisonet with an awesome salute to Argentina's golden generation.
BOOGIE FOREVER:DeMarcus Cousins.DEMARCUS COUSINS.
BAD NEWS:Marvin Barnes, best player ever to come out of Rhode Island and an ABA titan, is dead at 62. May he find peace.
THE TOUGH JUICE FACTORY:Rad VICE Sports video following Caron Butler through Racine, Wisc., where he talks about the ATF raid that almost ended his basketball career at age 15.
GOOD JOB, GOOD EFFORT:James Harden fell off a Segway. Flop.
AS THE FINALS BEGIN ...Jeff Pearlman on the WNBA's marketing struggles.
YOUR HEART IS AN EMPTY ROOM: Seattle's Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie fame does not like the NBA or David Stern, and calls Sacramento's retention of the Kings a product of blackmail.
TRUST IN THE SWAG: On a day that really needed some smiles in the sports world, Nick Young delivers.
ALL HAIL BILL RUSSELL:Via Reds Army, a video compilation of Bill Russell laughing. Pure mirth.
Happy Tuesday. See you next time.