“Ban me? I’ll wipe out the team from the map” Robert Sarver willing to sell Phoenix Suns and Mercy
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Robert Sarver
One week has passed since the NBA first revealed its charges against Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver: a $10 million fine and an one year ban. Sarver finally made the decision to sell the Phoenix Mercury and the Suns following overwhelming public outrage.
A sports town may be destroyed by bad owners who keep them hostage for years and Robert Sarver was among the worst, as history will eventually demonstrate. Former and present Suns employees were interviewed over the course of Sarver’s 17-year reign over the team describe a toxic and occasionally hostile work environment. Some claimed to ESPN that he frequently used racially offensive words at work and described actions they believed to be improper and sexist.
Some claim that the long-time owner encouraged an atmosphere where workers believed they were his property. Following a protracted independent investigation into claims of workplace misbehavior, the NBA then issued a one-year suspension and $10 million punishment for Sarver.
The evolution of Robert Sarver in Phoenix
A multi-millionaire and devoted sports enthusiast, Robert Sarver had always dreamed of owning a pro sports franchise. For $401 million, the multimillionaire bought the Phoenix Suns in 2004 and set the NBA record at the time. The Suns are currently worth an estimated $1.8 billion. Sarver has greatly improved since he has been a member of the team. In 2020, he collaborated with Verizon to construct the Verizon 5G Performance Center, a cutting-edge building featuring player monitoring technology where t he Phoenix Mercury, Sarver’s WNBA team, as well as the Suns both employ this technology. The Phoenix Suns quickly rose to prominence as one of the league’s most entertaining teams when Sarver purchased them.
The franchise hired Mike D’Antoni, a coach renowned for his amazing offensive setups, in 2004. The Suns featured a great trio of players in the early years of Sarver’s reign in Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion; Nash earned two MVP awards during this time and the team made their lone trip in the Western Conference Finals in 2010 with that squad. In 2021, the Suns advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time, but they fell to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns had trouble building on their success from the previous season last year. The squad struggled in the playoffs last year, losing to Luka Doncic and the Mavericks in the conference semifinals.
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Sarver to sell the franchises amid these allegations?
After a shocking study exposed the executive’s almost two-decade history of workplace harassment and unethical conduct, Robert Sarver declared that he would start the process of selling both of the professional basketball franchises. Sarver stated in a statement on Wednesday that he is unable to distinguish between his “personal” controversy and the NBA and WNBA clubs due to the unforgiving atmosphere. This incident brings to mind the time when Donald Sterling, the former owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, was punished with a $2.5 million fine and a lifetime NBA ban after being caught on tape making racial remarks. After 33 years of ownership, he was compelled to sell the franchise to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion.
LeBron James and Chris Paul, the two NBA stars along with others, criticised the sentence for not going far enough. PayPal, a Suns sponsor, also declared it would not renew its support if Robert Sarver continued to control the team. Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA, stated that he agreed with Sarver’s choice to sell the franchises and thought it was the best course of action for the group and the community. Due to the Sarver incident, the franchise will now be the focus of attention. However, it is up to the Phoenix Suns to maintain a group and contend for the title.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)