Ferry made his NBA debut on October 24, 1959,[3] scoring one point on a free throw against the Minneapolis Lakers.[4] At the end of his rookie season, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Ed Conlin. Ferry went on to lead the NBA in games played in 1960–61 (79) and 1961–62 (80), while finishing eleventh in field goal percentage (.451) in the former season. After four seasons with the Pistons, he was traded to the Baltimore Bullets along with Bailey Howell, Les Hunter, Wali Jones, and Don Ohl in an eight-player blockbuster deal on June 18, 1964, that included future Hall of Famer Rod Thorn. Ferry ultimately played ten seasons in the NBA with the Hawks, Pistons, and Bullets, scoring 5,780 points to go along with 906 assists and 3,343 rebounds.[3]
NBA executive career
After retiring as a player at the end of the 1968–69 season due to an injury, Ferry remained with the Bullets and initially served as a scout and assistant coach to Gene Shue. Ferry was credited with advising the franchise to select Wes Unseld in the 1968 NBA draft. He was eventually promoted to general manager (GM) of the Bullets on June 13, 1973.[2][5] His son, Danny, joked that owner Abe Pollin made Ferry GM because of the latter's success selling numerous advertisements for the Bullets' game programs, which gave management the impression that Ferry "must know a lot about business".[2]
He was also one of four GMs in NBA history with at least 700 wins, 13 playoff appearances, and one championship, the others being R. C. Buford, Jerry West, and Jerry Krause.[2][7] Ferry was responsible for hiring K. C. Jones (1973) and Unseld (1988), becoming the second GM in the NBA (after Red Auerbach) to hire two African-American head coaches on a permanent basis.[1][7]
Ferry quit as the Bullets GM on June 12, 1990,[5] on the heels of two subpar seasons, having come to a mutual agreement with Pollin that the franchise was in need of a change in administration.[1] He then became a scout for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks (who relocated to Atlanta), and the Brooklyn Nets over the next quarter of a century.[1][7][8] He also had a brief stint on The NBA on NBC as an "Insider" alongside Peter Vescey in the early 1990s.[9] He participated in a senior basketball league until he was in his 70s, and also took up tennis and golf.[2] In the 31 seasons from his retirement until his death, the since-renamed Wizards advanced to the playoffs just ten times.[1][2]
Personal life
Ferry was married to Rita Brooks for over sixty years until his death. They met at Saint Louis University. Together, they had three children: Bob Jr., Danny, and Laura.[1][2] Danny had a thirteen-year NBA playing career,[10] and later was general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks.[11] Bob Jr. played for Dematha Catholic High School and Harvard University. Laura is a professor at Georgetown University and marketing executive in the DC Metro area.[2]
Ferry was a practicing Catholic. His family initially resided in Bowie, Maryland, before relocating to Annapolis.[2] He died on October 27, 2021, at Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis. He suffered from melanoma and a heart condition, and was hospitalized for 12 days prior to his death at the age of 84.[1][2][7]
