“Who wants to be a part of you?” Suns already feeling effects of Robert Sarver debacle amid ultimatum from sponsor
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Robert Sarver - IMAGO/Zuma Wire
PayPal, who was the jersey sponsorer for Phoenix Suns‘ has threatened to cut connections with the club if owner Robert Sarver continues to be involved with the company after his one-year ban. Sarver was suspended by the league and fined $10 million after an inquiry discovered he made improper comments to female employees and used the N-word on many occasions. PayPal has asked the team to take disciplinary punishment beyond the one-year penalty.
PayPal and the Suns signed a sponsorship agreement in 2018 that featured the jersey patch as well as the integration of the fintech company’s payment methods into the team’s venue and ticket sales. “PayPal’s sponsorship with the Suns is due to expire at the end of the current season,” stated CEO Dan Schulman in a statement issued Friday. “In light of the findings of the NBA’s investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension.”
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Robert Sarver faces backlash for his racist behaviour
Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, and RCD Mallorca of the La Liga Santander, was recently suspended for a season and fined $10 million by the NBA after an investigation revealed that he made sexist and racist remarks. For these remarks he has been criticized by a number of NBA players, staff and fans alike who have demanded his permanent ouster from the Suns , Mercury and the NBA as a whole.
According to reports, the 60-year-old used the N-word at least five times “while recounting the statements of others;” made inappropriate sex-related comments about the physical appearance of women; made inappropriate physical contact with men; and treated employees in a demeaning manner and harshly, including yelling and cursing at them.
Most recently Tamika Tremaglio had issued a statement calling Sarver’s purported conduct “awful” and adding he should never again have an NBA managerial role. In an interview with ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Friday, she elaborated on those points: “We are absolutely calling for [a lifetime ban]. We do not want him to be in a position where he is managing or engaging with individuals who are engaging with our players or our players themselves. We are absolutely clear from the findings that are in the report that we do not want him to be in that position.”
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Yakshpat Bhargava
(3989 Articles Published)