Danny Ferry facts for kids
Ferry playing for Duke, circa 1985
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | October 17, 1966 Hyattsville, Maryland, U.S. |
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| High school | DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Maryland) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Duke (1985–1989) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1989 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1989–2003 | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Il Messaggero Roma | |||||||||||||
| 1990–2000 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | San Antonio Spurs | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Points | 6,439 (7.0 ppg) | |||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,550 (2.8 rpg) | |||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,185 (1.3 apg) | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Daniel John Willard Ferry (born October 17, 1966) is an American sports executive and former professional basketball player. He played as a forward.
Danny Ferry was one of the most famous high school basketball players in 1985. He chose to play college basketball at Duke University. At Duke, Ferry led the Duke Blue Devils to three Final Four tournaments. He set many school records and won several national player of the year awards. In 2002, he was named one of the fifty greatest players in ACC history.
In 1989, Ferry was picked second overall in the 1989 NBA draft. He first played one season in Italy for Il Messaggero (now Virtus Roma). Then, he spent most of his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1990 to 2000. In the NBA, Ferry was known for his three-point shooting. He finished his playing career with the San Antonio Spurs, winning an NBA championship in the 2002–03 season before he retired.
After retiring as a player, Ferry became a basketball executive. He worked as vice president of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs. He was also the general manager for the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2020, he returned to the Spurs as a consultant.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Danny Ferry was born in Hyattsville, Maryland. His father, Bob Ferry, was also a former NBA player and executive. Danny started his basketball journey at DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland. He was coached by Morgan Wootten, a famous high school coach.
Ferry was a two-time All-American in high school. He was ranked as one of the best high school centers in the country. In 1985, Parade Magazine named him their prep Player of the Year. He was one of the most sought-after high school players before he chose to go to Duke University.
Danny Ferry is married to Tiffany, and they have five children.
College Career
Ferry played basketball for Duke University for four seasons, from 1985 to 1989. During his time there, he helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four three times: in 1986, 1988, and 1989. He was named MVP of the East Regional tournament twice.
Ferry was known for his outside shooting, rebounding, and ability to see the whole court. He was chosen for the first team All-America in 1989 and second-team All-America in 1988. As of 2024, he still holds Duke's record for most points in a single game, with 58 points against Miami in 1988. Many consider him one of Duke's greatest players ever.
Ferry was the first player in ACC history to get over 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in college. He won several national player of the year awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. His jersey number 35 was retired by Duke in 1989. In 2002, he was honored as one of the top 50 players in ACC history.
Professional Career
Playing in Italy
After college, the Los Angeles Clippers drafted Ferry as the second overall pick in the 1989 NBA draft. However, he decided not to play for the Clippers. Instead, he accepted an offer to play for Il Messaggero in Italy.
During the 1989–90 season, Ferry averaged 23 points per game. He helped lead the Italian team into the playoffs. On November 16, 1989, the Clippers traded Ferry's rights to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers
In the summer of 1990, the Cavaliers signed Ferry to a 10-year contract. He faced some challenges, including knee problems in his first season. Many felt he did not live up to the high expectations from his college career.
Even though he didn't become a superstar, Ferry was a reliable player for the Cavaliers. He was especially good at three-point shooting. He became a regular starter for the team in 1996. In the 1995–96 NBA season, he averaged 13.3 points per game. Over his 10 years in Cleveland, the team made the NBA playoffs six times. Ferry held the record for most games played for the Cavaliers (723 games) until 2009.
San Antonio Spurs
On August 10, 2000, Ferry signed a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He played for the Spurs for three seasons. He was very accurate with his three-point shots, making 42.5% of them.
Ferry won an NBA championship with the Spurs in the 2002–03 season. After that, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers but was then released. He retired in 2003. Throughout his career, he made 39.3% of his three-point attempts.
Management Career
After retiring as a player, Danny Ferry started working in the front office for the San Antonio Spurs from 2003 to 2005.
On June 27, 2005, Ferry became the general manager for the Cleveland Cavaliers. During his time, the team improved a lot with superstar LeBron James and coach Mike Brown. They added talented players like Mo Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, and Antawn Jamison. The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 2007.
Ferry and the Cavaliers decided to part ways on June 4, 2010. The team had a great record of 272 wins and 138 losses while he was general manager. In August 2010, Ferry returned to the Spurs as vice president of basketball operations.
On June 25, 2012, Ferry became the president of basketball operations and general manager for the Atlanta Hawks. In 2014, there was a situation where Ferry read aloud a comment from a scouting report that caused controversy. An investigation followed, and it found that his actions were not motivated by racism. After this, Ferry and the Hawks agreed for him to leave the team.
In June 2016, Ferry became a special advisor for the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. He served as the team's interim general manager for a short period in 2019. In 2020, Ferry was hired as a consultant for the Spurs again.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds
