Robert Sarver — owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury since 2004 — has started the process of looking for buyers of the pro hoops teams following an investigation against him for workplace harassment and inappropriate behavior.
The NBA fined Sarver $10 million USD and suspended him for one year after being found guilty for making racist and sexist remarks toward employees of his organizations. It’s been reported that Sarver used the N-word at least five times, made ill-suited comments towards female employees about their physical appearance, made inappropriate physical conduct towards male employees and even told a pregnant employee that she wasn’t able to effectively do her job.
“I do not want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world,” Sarver said in a statement. “I want what’s best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, the fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone.”
As a primary owner of both teams, he owns one-third stake. He bought both franchises back in 2004 for $401 million USD, and according to Forbes, the Suns are currently valued at $1.8 billion USD.
In other news, Steph Curry is expected to sign a $1 Billion USD lifetime contract with Under Armour.
Tagged: Sports