Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has been suspended one year and fined $10 million for inappropriate workplace conduct. The investigation included interviews with 320 individuals and over 80,000 documents.
The Suns owner will also be required to complete a training program, centered on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace. For a reminder, $10 million is the maximum amount the NBA can fine.
According to the NBA report, Sarver βon at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others.β
The NBA today issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/jjlBK771PT
β NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 13, 2022
During his suspension, Sarver is not allowed to visit any NBA or WNBA facility. Therefore, heβs also banned from participating in any team-related event or activity.
Moreover, other key findings were released in the leagueβs report:
βMr. Sarver engaged in instances of equitable 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 contact toward male employees.β
Additionally, the reported stated, βMr. Sarver engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them.β
Suns owner Robert Sarver suspended one year, fined $10 million
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA plans to donate Sarverβs $10 million fine to organizations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in the workplace.
Furthermore, while the investigation concluded that Sarverβs misconduct wasnβt motivated by racial or gender-based animus, how will he recover from this report?
In April 2014, after making racist statements, former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was fined $2.5 million by the NBA and banned for life. A month later, the Sterling Family Trust agreed to sell the team to Steve Ballmer.
On Twitter, Suns Legacy Partners, LLC released their official statement shown below.
β Phoenix Suns (@Suns) September 13, 2022
On Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver discussed the leagueβs findings.
βThe statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,β said…