The NBA announced Tuesday that it has suspended Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver for one year and fined him ten million dollars for racist and misogynistic behavior. He can no longer run a franchise and he is prohibited from attending games, such as frequenting the facilities of NBA and WNBA teams.
An independent investigation commissioned by the North American league has proven that Mr. Sarver had “clearly violated“the rules of good conduct of the professional world but also of the league, announced the latter. He is accused of having treated his employees unfairly, using “words disregarding racial sensitivities“, a sexually connoted language and to have had an attitude relating to harassment.
According to the report, Robert Sarver notably uttered at least five times “the word in n****and told one of his pregnant employees that she wouldn’t be able to do her job properly if she became a mother. “I’m sorry for causing harm and these errors in judgment do not align with my philosophy or values“, reacted the businessman, who however said to himself”disagree with some elementsexhibited by the NBA.
Maximum financial penalty
The owner of the Suns, but also of the Mercury, franchise of the WNBA women’s league, was under investigation since the publication in November of an article by ESPN highlighting, through the testimonies of more than 70 employees of the Suns, his inappropriate behavior.
The fine of ten million dollars demanded of Mr. Sarver, which moreover represents the maximum financial penalty authorized by the NBA code, will be donated to organizations fighting against discrimination of “race and gender“, specifies the league. His boss, Adam Silver, called the revelations about Mr Sarver’s behavior “disturbing and disappointing».
Robert Sarver escapes American League excommunication, inflicted in 2014, for example, on former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned for life for making racist remarks in a recorded private conversation .
