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". During Ferry's tenure as GM from 1973 to 1990, the Bullets won their only NBA championship in 1978 and made it to three other Finals: the Bullets lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, the Golden State Warriors in 1975 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979. Ferry also won the NBA Executive of the Year Award in 1979 and 1982, and was one of only 11 league GMs to win the award in multiple seasons at the time of his death. 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. 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. Ferry quit as the Bullets GM on June 12, 1990, 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. 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. He also had a brief stint on The NBA on NBC as an "Insider" alongside Peter Vescey in the early 1990s. He participated in a senior basketball league until he was in his 70s, and also took up tennis and golf. In the 31 seasons from his retirement until his death, the since-renamed Wizards advanced to the playoffs just ten times. 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. Danny had a thirteen-year NBA playing career, and later was general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. 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. Ferry was a practicing Catholic. His family initially resided in Bowie, Maryland, before relocating to Annapolis. He died on October 27,