Deng 'saddened' by Ferry comments

African-born British NBA star Luol Deng said on Tuesday he was saddened and disappointed by remarks made about him in June by Atlanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry, which were revealed on Monday.

Ferry issued an apology on Tuesday and said he was only reading comments from others evaluating Deng as a potential free agent signing by the Hawks when he made his racially charged remarks during a conference call.

"Concerning my free agency, the focus should purely have been on my professionalism and my ability as an athlete," Deng said in a statement released to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspapers.