National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver defended his decision to suspend Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver for a year and fine him $10 million, after an independent investigation found that he used racial slurs and sexually harassed female employees.
(Bloomberg) — National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver defended his decision to suspend Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver for a year and fine him $10 million, after an independent investigation found that he used racial slurs and sexually harassed female employees.
“If they had made findings that [Sarver’s] conduct was motivated by racial animus, then absolutely that would have had an impact on the ultimate outcome here, but that’s not what they found,” Silver said at a press conference Wednesday. “What was pointed out in this report is Mr. Sarver ultimately has acknowledged his behavior.”
NBA Suspends Phoenix Suns Owner Over Racial Slurs, Harassment
The consequences for Sarver stood out compared with those for former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who in 2014 was banned from the NBA for life over racist remarks. He was forced to sell his team, which former Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer bought for a then-record $2 billion.
That was different, Silver said: “What we saw in the case of Donald Sterling was blatant, racist conduct directed at a select group of people.”
LeBron James and Chris Paul, two of the NBA’s biggest stars, publicly criticized the decision. On Twitter, James wrote that the NBA “definitely got this wrong.”
Paul, who plays for Sarver’s Suns and has served as president of the NBA players’ union, said he was “horrified and disappointed” by the report.
Sarver also owns the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. He is barred from both leagues during his suspension, which was announced Tuesday after an independent investigation that reviewed more than 80,000 documents and interviewed 320 people.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
