Robert Sarver

What does the removal of Clippers owner Donald Sterling tell us about what it would take for disgraced Suns owner Robert Sarver to be ousted?

Maybe that pushes Sarver into a year’s hibernation, his absence talked about only if the Suns return to the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. A big part of what the NBA is about is promoting diversity, tolerance and respect for all people.” The report makes that clear. It exists at the pleasure of league ownership, a group generally uneasy with the idea of asset removal because of misdeeds. And every page of the investigative report makes that even clearer. “I don’t want to rest on that legal point because of course there could be a process to take away someone’s team in this league. The league and its report suggests that not everyone has a Sarver horror story to tell, that there’s context that needs to be kept private. The NBA suspended Sarver for one season and fined him $10 million Tuesday for a litany of unsavory behavior directed at women and people of color. The league never punished Sterling for any of that other stuff, acting only after the tape was made public by his former girlfriend, V. I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. And the addressing it? Adam Silver said the NBA “addressed it” — the “it” being the behavior of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver.

An NBA probe found Suns owner Robert Sarver said the N-word at least five times and committed other acts of misogyny and racism, leading to questions about ...

[some](https://twitter.com/linzsports/status/1569723721991979008?s=20&t=v78Di8rXIlVgzs6LDBm-Qw) to point to how the evidence of his behavior toward women make that position more problematic. The Mercury is the WNBA team of Britney Griner, who has become the surprise focus of the U.S. Sarver denied the allegations, through his lawyers, to ESPN, saying he welcomed the investigation. [Phoenix Suns Owner Robert Sarver Suspended And Fined $10 Million For Racist Language](https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/09/13/phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-suspended-and-fined-10-million-for-racist-language/?sh=235c18dc7825) (Forbes) [Allegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix Suns: Inside Robert Sarver's 17-year tenure as owner](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny) (ESPN) [exposé](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny) in November found Sarver consistently acted inappropriately toward employees, according to interviews among current and former Suns employees, causing the NBA to launch a probe into the allegations. [tweeted](https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1570184138010812416) Wednesday night the NBA “definitely got this wrong” and “there is no place in this league…for misogyny, sexism, and racism.”

The consequences for an NBA owner simply aren't as severe compared to others.

… There is no place in this league for that kind of behavior,” and [ Suns guard Chris Paul stating](https://twitter.com/CP3/status/1570220418191228928), “The sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior.” The executive director of the players union, [ Tamika Tremaglio, went one step further,](https://twitter.com/ttremaglioNBPA/status/1570229804758175749) saying, “Mr. There’s still time for the players, the public and corporate sponsors to demand stronger action. Because the outcome in this case is profoundly disappointing—and not just to media commentators. Eight years ago, it was a groundswell of player outrage, and the threat of a potential strike during the playoffs, which helped build momentum for Silver to permanently banish Clippers owner Donald Sterling for making racist remarks. He’d rather be able to say, affirmatively and unequivocally, that the NBA truly does hold everyone to the same standards. Reputationally, it’s hard to even make those comparisons to somebody who commits an inappropriate act in the workplace in somewhat of an anonymous fashion, versus what is a huge public issue now around this person.” The equivalent of a $10 million fine and a one-year suspension, I don’t know how to measure that against a job. But the league does know now what the man is capable of: crude and belittling remarks, bullying of subordinates, racist language and misogynistic comments that created a hostile, fearful climate for countless Suns employees over the last 18 years. Silver’s response: “There are particular rights here of someone who owns an NBA team, as opposed to somebody who is an employee. Or, as we asked Silver on Thursday: How can Sarver retain his standing in the NBA, when the same behavior would have triggered the immediate, unconditional termination of any team or league employee? And Silver would need a minimum of 23 owners to back him even if he wanted to force Sarver to sell. How many seconds would elapse, in this alternate history, before the NBA’s Board of Governors threw that bid in the shredder and effectively told Sarver to, well, go (blank) himself?

Robert Sarver seated at basketball game. The fact that Sarver's behavior was allowed to go on so long—and that the Suns aren't the only team to deal with toxic ...

[reported](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34584665/phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-suspended-year-fined-10-million-investigation-finds-conduct-clearly-violated-workplace-standards) that Sarver did not fight the investigation, but that he did fight the punishment. One section of the Sarver report is devoted to an allegation that he has said that he “hates” diversity. The investigators conclude that the story is true, and that he said it in a “contrarian” way. “League sources told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes and Adrian Wojnarowski that he was unaccepting of the idea that he deserved a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine for his behavior. Whether Sarver is as racist as Sterling is somewhat beside the point: racism and misogyny are not simply, or even primarily, problems of animus. He once exited a shower and stood naked in front of a male employee—one of several acts, the report found, performed “not with an intent to make a sexual advance toward anyone, but with an intent to be provocative and/or attempt humor.” (Sarver has said that he disagrees with “some of the particulars of the NBA’s report,” and has apologized for “words and actions that offended our employees.”) On the apparent basis of that conclusion, the N.B.A. “A big part of what the N.B.A. “On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report,” the N.B.A. “In light of these accounts and the totality of the evidence reviewed by investigators, the investigation makes no finding that Sarver’s conduct was motivated by racial or gender-based animus,” the report reads. This is how the report explains most of Sarver’s actions: as the result of a sense of humor that was “sophomoric and inappropriate for the workplace.” That conclusion leans heavily on the fact that he apparently offended indiscriminately—men and women, Black people and white people. [investigative piece](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny) describing a long history of alleged sexist and racist behavior by Robert Sarver, the owner of the N.B.A.’s Phoenix Suns and the W.N.B.A.’s Phoenix Mercury.

The Phoenix Suns will name minority owner Sam Garvin as interim governor to lead the franchise while Robert Sarver serves his suspension.

[Garvin will take charge immediately](https://twitter.com/Baxter/status/1570495131912142850) and already was attending a board of governors meeting in place of Sarver on Wednesday. “Robert Sarver is also taking responsibility for his actions. As a result, Sarver is not allowed to be present at any NBA or WNBA facility, practice facility or office area. Garvin also worked at the Heinz company as a sales merchandiser. He has a masters of international management specializing in marketing from Thunderbird. [ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported Thursday](https://twitter.com/Baxter/status/1570493017177591810).

LeBron James and Chris Paul have criticized the NBA for the punishment handed down to Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver, who this week was fined $10 million ...

The equivalent of a $10 million fine and a one-year suspension, I don't know how to measure that against a job. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected." "Like many others, I reviewed the report. According to the NBA, 320 current and former employees who worked for Sarver were interviewed. "I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it."

Adam Silver has held the reputation over the years as being different from other league commissioners. His press conference Wednesday put that notion to ...

Until then, and absolutely no sooner, Sarver will not actually be held accountable, and certainly not by Adam Silver, just another employee paid handsomely to deal with and maintain a system that allows billionaires to operate however they please. The NBA should have called for a governors vote on Sarver. Sarver, whose suspension could technically exceed that length if the Suns make the playoffs and don’t get swept in the first round, has arguably gotten worse over the years as it pertains to his view of minorities and women. Through legalese, Silver stood by the report that, despite several examples that would point to the contrary, there was no animus directed toward minorities or women. I will say it’s the second-longest suspension in the history of our league, just to put it in some sort of context,” Silver said. Except, well, according to Silver, that is not actually the case.

League sanction hasn't stopped the tidal wave of reaction from high-profile luminaries, proclaiming that the one-year suspension and $10 million fine are not ...

The report confirmed Sarver made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women and made inappropriate workplace physical conduct toward male employees.” While I have no interest in becoming the managing partner, I will work tirelessly to ensure the next team steward treats all stakeholders with dignity, professionalism and respect.” We owe it to you: employees, players, partners, and your families to provide the same positive workplace environment we would require of any other business. The fact that anyone would find him fit to lead because of this “ownership” position is forgetting that NBA teams belong to the communities they serve. I first and foremost want to give my deepest thanks to all of you who garnered the courage to share your experiences, as difficult as it may have been, to help piece together a clearer picture of what work life must have been like for you over these past 18 years. The report confirmed Sarver engaged in conduct demeaning of female and pregnant employees. I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. I said it before and I’m gonna say it again, there is no place in this league for that kind of behavior. The report confirmed Sarver made crude and sexually inappropriate comments in professional settings. I was and am horrified and disappointed by what I read. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. League sanction hasn’t stopped the tidal wave of reaction from high-profile luminaries, proclaiming that the one-year suspension and $10 million fine are not adequate given the severity of Sarver’s actions.

The NBA gave Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver a one-year suspension for making racist and misogynist remarks, and he received a $10 million fine.

Which brings us to the present: Since Silver told reporters Wednesday of his inability to tell Sarver to get lost forever from the NBA (“I don’t have certain authority by virtue of this organization, and that’s what I exercise. ... In the case of Robert Sarver, I'd say, first of all, we're looking at the totality of circumstances over an 18-year period in which he's owned these teams, and ultimately we made a judgment — I made a judgment — that in the circumstances in which he had used that language and that behavior, that while, as I said, it was indefensible, is not strong enough. He also said he couldn’t fine Sarver more than $10 million due to a league rule. Which means the NBA changed that rule within the last eight years. not to bring them to my games.”) and an NBA-sanctioned report conducted by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz [discovering Sarver used ](https://www.yahoo.com/now/nba-suspends-suns-owner-sarver-162545304.html)the N-word at least five times "when recounting the statements of others” while owning the Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury [MER](https://www.forbes.com/digital-assets/assets/mercury-mer/) Which means Silver’s fine is nothing worth mentioning, and the same goes for that suspension. Those allegations ranged from former Suns head coach Earl Watson (who is Black and Hispanic) urging Sarver (who isn’t) in October 2016 to stop casually using the N-word to Sarver telling one of his staffers in 2013 why he wished to hire Lindsey Hunter (Black) over Dan Majerle (White) as head coach in 2013: "These [N-words] need a [N-word].” “While it's difficult to know what is in someone's heart or in their mind, we heard those words. "It's beyond the pale in every possible way to use language and behave that way, but that it was wholly of a different kind than what we saw in that earlier case." [investigative piece](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny) in November 2021 that featured a slew of allegations regarding Sarver’s racism and misogyny during his 17 years as Suns owner. The little I ask you is ... You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want.

Jahm Najafi isn't alone in wanting Sarver away from the team.

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Phoenix Suns vice chairman and minority owner Jahm Najafi called for Robert Sarver's resignation in an open letter to team employees released on Thursday ...

Therefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver." We owe it to you: employees, players, partners, and your families to provide the same positive workplace environment we would require of any other business. The fact that anyone would find him fit to lead because of this 'ownership' position is forgetting that NBA teams belong to the communities they serve.