Robert Sarver’s time as the owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury is on the precipice of coming to an end.
via: Complex
“As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner’s one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love,” Sarver said via a statement, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday. “But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”
Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver announces that he has started the process to sell both franchises.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2022
The news comes on the heels of the NBA conducting an independent investigation into workplace misconduct, which concluded that “Sarver, on at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others.”
The investigation also found that “Sarver engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.”
Sarver was ultimately handed down a $10 million fine and was suspended from the Suns and Mercury organization for one year.
After news of the fine and suspension broke, LeBron James wrote that the “league definitely got this wrong.”
He continued, “I don’t need to explain why. Y’all read the stories and decide for yourself. I said it before and I’m gonna say it again, there is no place in this league for that kind of behavior.”
behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place. Don’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 14, 2022
