Robert Sarver

The league's investigation found Sarver said the n-word at least five times during his 18-year ownership tenure in Phoenix. Per the NBA investigation, Sarver ...

The Suns released a [statement](https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1569744553049214976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1569744553049214976%7Ctwgr%5E41b329d6a724af428b92414eea93fcd77006cedb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nba.com%2Fnews%2Fnba-investigation-robert-sarver-suns-official-release) Tuesday following the league’s punishment, stating “Suns Legacy Partners is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment that is free of discrimination and harassment.” “We take great pride in being one of the most diverse and inclusive leagues in sports, and hope that these actions will not only be used to establish a stronger workplace culture for the Suns/Mercury organization but also shine a light on the impact that offensive language and inappropriate behavior can have on employees more broadly.” He cannot represent the Suns or Mercury in any fashion, take part in Suns or Mercury business or participate in any NBA or WNBA business. The Suns and Mercury organizations will also be given a set of tasks they must complete. As part of Sarver’s suspension, he cannot show up to any NBA or WNBA facility, or attend any NBA or WNBA event during the 2022–23 season. [ESPN reported accounts](http://si.com/nba/2021/11/04/robert-sarver-report-espn-behavior-toxic-workplace) from more than 70 current and former Suns employees who detailed a toxic workplace environment under Sarver that included both racism and misogyny.

The league hands out a one-year ban and the maximum allowable $10 million fine.

Sarver also danced “pelvis to pelvis” with a male employee at a holiday party, and asked at least one player on the 2009-2010 team about personal grooming habits. In the run-up to the 2017-2018 season, the report stated that Sarver and Paul were involved in a “contentious negotiation” concerning Eric Bledsoe, who is Black, and that Sarver felt that Paul’s representation of Watson and the player represented a “conflict of interest.” In one case, Sarver told a pregnant employee that she must stop working on an assignment because her baby “needs their mom, not their father.” In another, he asked a female employee whether she had gotten “an upgrade” — a euphemism for a breast augmentation. Nevertheless, the investigation concluded that Sarver repeatedly used the n-word in 2016 after hearing a Warriors player, who is Black, saying it during the game. According to witnesses, Sarver used the n-word while recruiting a free agent in 2004, during a team-building exercise in 2012 or 2013 and after an October 2016 game against the Golden State Warriors. “While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA’s report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees,” Sarver said in a statement. In response to the investigation, the Suns issued a statement touting their new human resources leadership team and “meaningful enhancements” to ensure a proper standard for workplace behavior. I accept the consequences of the NBA’s decision.” On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. “I encourage the Board of Governors to hold Mr. What’s more, the report noted that Sarver continued to use the n-word while recounting statements made by Black people for years after he was first informed such comments were unacceptable. Sarver will be barred from attending all NBA and WNBA games and from team facilities, and he cannot appear at public events on behalf of the Suns or the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.

The NBA has suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver for one year, plus fined him $10 million, after an investigation found that he ...

“On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. Sterling was fined $2.5 million, the largest allowable figure at that time, and was forced to sell the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the massive fallout that followed him making racist comments in a recorded conversation. Employees of those organizations will be surveyed, anonymously and regularly, to ensure that proper workplace culture is in place. “We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces.” “I take full responsibility for what I have done," Sarver said. “I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values.

The punishment would be the largest ever levied against an NBA owner ... had it not been for one Donald Sterling, whose own scandal rocked the NBA less than ...

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The Suns and Mercury owner has been suspended for one year. But what happens when he comes back?

Silver and the NBA had better have a plan for what to do then. On Tuesday, the Suns released a statement, which included: “Robert Sarver is also taking responsibility for his actions. But while the report makes Sarver look terrible, it also opens Silver up to criticism that he didn’t penalize Sarver harshly enough. It made sense for Silver to give Sarver the stiffest punishment he could indisputably implement. I don’t want to give Silver too much credit for releasing it—it was obviously the right thing to do. But Sarver’s legal team would probably try to use the legal process to get every inappropriate joke and comment from an owner into the public record, to show Sarver was being held to an unfair standard. In the 1990s, Major League Baseball suspended Reds owner Marge Schott for a year, suspended her again for two more, and finally was able to make her sell the team. In another instance, when the Suns were recruiting a free agent in 2015, Sarver made a joke that the team should have players impregnate local Phoenix strippers so they would feel connected to the area, giving the Suns a potential edge in free agency recruitment. Otherwise, Donald could have taken the NBA to court, and it’s not clear how that would have turned out. [publicly lied about the reason for refusing to release it](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/06/22/roger-goodell-house-oversight-committee-hearing-report-commanders-toxic-culture-dan-snyder-allegations)—saying you were protecting the people who accused the owner of wrongdoing; and approve of the owner saying he would take a voluntary leave of absence to focus on a new stadium while his wife ran the team. Is it NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s job to kick him out of the league? Is it frustrating that a man like this gets to own an NBA team?

After a lengthy investigation, the league suspended the Phoenix Suns governor for a year and fined him $10 million, but should have done much more.

A $10 million fine—even if it is the largest allowed by the NBA Constitution—shouldn’t make anyone more comfortable about working for the Suns today, or about the prospect of taking a job with the team in the future. It commissioned an investigation, took in the stories of abuse at almost every level of the Suns organization, and sent the unmistakable message that it will protect Sarver and the league partners like him. “The investigation finds that the Suns organization has been a difficult place for women to work,” the report says, “particularly if they have young children, and that Suns executives have on occasion treated female employees differently because of their gender and/or pregnancy.” That finding should be the end of the discussion. Hundreds of people described all the ways that Sarver has denigrated, discriminated against, and mistreated his employees, and he takes a year hiatus and attends a seminar. The common thread with so many of Sarver’s offenses is the way he attempts to hide behind poor attempts at jokes, quoting something that someone else said, or some big misunderstanding. The obvious answer was right there, and the precedent plain as day in the NBA’s expulsion of former Clippers governor Donald Sterling—who was forced to sell the team in 2014 after his own racist comments were recorded and circulated, punctuating decades of similar remarks and behavior.

The NBA did not force Sarver to sell the team, like it did with former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.

Last year’s ESPN report detailed the accusations against Sarver using accounts from former employees, including Sarver explaining to staff that the Suns should have a Black head coach because “These [N-words] [stepped down](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33746965/phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-retiring-western-alliance-executive-chairman-amid-nba-investigation)as the executive chairman of Western Alliance Bancorporation in April amid the investigation. Sarver bought the franchise in 2004 for $401 million. [according](https://puck.news/bob-iger-would-love-to-buy-an-nba-team-could-the-phoenix-suns-be-it/) to Puck. [banned for life](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2014/04/29/every-nba-owner-will-vote-in-favor-of-forcing-sterling-to-sell-the-clippers/?sh=65d3126a14a2) in 2014 when his racist comments were revealed, forcing him to sell his franchise. [report](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny) on allegations of misconduct in November 2021. [said](https://pr.nba.com/nba-statement-about-independent-investigation-regarding-robert-sarver-and-the-phoenix-suns-organization/).

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Robert Sarver $10 million and suspended him from all Phoenix Suns and Mercury activities for one year.

“The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,” he said in a statement, concluding, “On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. Last year, USA TODAY Sports learned that Sarver owned about 35% of the Suns, and co-owner Jahm Najafi is the second-largest investor. That contrasts with Sarver's November statement following ESPN's initial expose on Sarver who said the n-word isn't part of his vocabulary. He added: "I accept the consequences of the NBA's decision. He works for the owners and is charged with keeping 30 NBA teams on the same page when there isn’t always universal agreement on league matters. Is that enough for Sarver to sell his share of the team? Part of that duty is protecting the league, its owners and their investment. That line in the report saved Sarver from further sanctions. Sarver used the N-word on at least five occasions – mostly recently in 2017. He’s lucky he didn’t receive the Sterling treatment. Don't forget that "animus" phrase. The commissioner was not happy.

You can only be outraged when you have an expectation that, when egregious misconduct is exposed, meaningful justice will be meted out.

Sarver went to great pains to point out all the good works he’s done over the years for people of color in Arizona and California, and some are substantial. The NBA said Cuban would “donate” $10 million to “organizations that are committed to supporting the leadership and development of women in the sports industry and combating domestic violence.” My reaction to the Sarver fine and suspension is further muted because the only thing that might spur the league to additional action would be if there was a major backlash against the team — from its fanbase, or from its players and coaches. They have had to do this over the years not because players are asking for too much money, but to keep the league’s richest teams from outspending the poorer ones by multiples of millions of dollars. Sarver apologized in a statement released through the team Tuesday, saying he takes “full responsibility for what I have done. Snyder, personally, was not held responsible for any of it — the league’s statement said “the team” was fined $10 million, as if there was some nameplate in an office somewhere at the Commanders’ headquarters in Virginia that read “T.H. [unlike the NFL’s weak tea doled out in 2021 to Commanders’ owner Daniel Snyder,](https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFL-ANNOUNCES-OUTCOME-OF-WASHINGTON-FOOTBALL-TEAM-WORKPLACE-REVIEW.aspx) after an outside investigation corroborated claims of years of verbal and sexual toxicity directed toward female employees at Snyder’s company, by several of his subordinates. Maloney (D-N.Y.), the committee’s chairwoman, said during a hearing in June. Meanwhile, there’s been no evidence that Dan Snyder has, for a single day, not remained involved in the team’s day-to-day operations. But Robert Sarver needs the NBA a lot more than the NBA needs Robert Sarver. The league’s punishment falls short of the truth of that statement. Was it odd that the report, continuously, said it couldn’t be determined that Sarver’s conduct was “motivated by racial or gender-based animus”?

Yahoo Sports senior NBA writer Vincent Goodwill reflects on the league's investigation into the Phoenix Suns & Mercury governor, who was suspended one year and ...

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Plus, the Aces have taken control of the WNBA Finals.

[Arch Manning’s recruitment](https://www.si.com/college/2022/06/23/arch-manning-announces-commitment-to-texas) (and eventual commitment to Texas) was over the top, you should check out the fanfare leading into his grandpa’s 1970 season at Ole Miss. There was even [something called “Archie Fever” going on](https://vault.si.com/vault/1970/09/14/redletter-year-for-quarterbacks), according to William F. [went deep not once, but twice](https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/09/14/aaron-judge-hits-home-runs-against-red-sox-milestone-pursuit) to push his tally to 57 in an extra-innings win over the Red Sox. Watt won’t need surgery](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/09/13/tj-watt-steelers-sends-clear-message-return-from-pec-injury-terminator-gif) after suffering a pectoral injury Sunday and is expected to miss only around six weeks. … Plus, newly released text messages [further illustrate Brett Favre’s involvement](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/09/14/brett-favre-welfare-scheme-new-texts) in a welfare fraud case in Mississippi. … Broncos coach [Nathaniel Hackett says he made the wrong decision](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/09/13/broncos-hackett-says-he-made-wrong-decision-on-late-field-goal-seahawks) to go for a 64-yard field goal in Monday night’s disastrous finish against the Seahawks. In all, 23 of the 32 teams started quarterbacks drafted in the first round. … Jennifer Piacenti [highlights some waiver wire pickups](https://www.si.com/fantasy/2022/09/13/waiver-wire-pickups-week-2-dak-prescott) that could help you win your fantasy football league. No team has come back from a 2–0 since the WNBA moved to a best-of-five series in 2005. … Richard Johnson highlights [some rising NFL draft prospects](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/09/13/nfl-draft-prospects-risers-college-football) whose names you should learn now. … Jonathan Wilson [analyzes Bayern Munich’s win over Barcelona in the Champions League](https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/09/13/bayern-munich-barcelona-robert-lewandowski-champions-league) and what to take away from the match for both clubs. [Clay Helton’s vision at Georgia Southern fresh off an upset win over Nebraska](https://www.si.com/college/2022/09/13/clay-helton-georgia-southern-football-rebuild).