Robert Sarver says he has begun the process of selling the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, a move that comes just eight days after he Suspended by the NBA Racist speech and hostile behavior towards employees, including misconduct in the workplace.
server announced On Wednesday, the sale called “the best course of action.”
“But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that this is no longer possible — that anything I have done or can do is more than what I have said in the past,” Sarver wrote in a statement. “For this reason, I am beginning the process of finding buyers for Sun and Mercury.”
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Server bought the teams in July 2004. He is not the sole owner, but the primary owner.
“I deeply regret the words that have now overshadowed nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together,” he wrote Wednesday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a brief statement Wednesday afternoon in which he said: “I fully support Robert Sarver’s decision to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. It’s the right next step for the organization and the community.”
Last week, the NBA suspended Server for one year and fined him $10 million After investigation He was found to have engaged in what the league called “workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies.”
NBA stars LeBron James and Chris Paul criticized the penalty, saying it did not go far enough. Sun sponsor PayPal also said this His team sponsorship will not be renewed If the server remains the team owner.
The results of the league’s investigation come nearly a year after the NBA asked a law firm to investigate allegations that Sarver has a history of racist, antisocial and hostile incidents during his nearly two decades overseeing the franchise.
The report based its findings on interviews with 320 people, including current and former employees who worked for both teams when Server Partners was in management, as well as more than 80,000 documents and materials such as emails, text messages and videos, the NBA said.
“I don’t want to be a distraction to these two teams and the fine individuals who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world,” Sarver said. “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.”
