Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver to be investigated by the NBA, with allegations of racism and misogyny against him: Here's what we know so far
Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver continues to find himself in the middle of controversy. The NBA has announced that they will conduct an investigation of the Suns owner following accusations of racism, sexism and sexual harassment against him.
It's been a chaotic start to the 2021-22 season for the Suns. After their front office failed to come to an agreement regarding a contract extension for Deandre Ayton, many fingers were pointed in the direction of Robert Sarver.
With the Ayton news settling, many thought it would be the last time the Suns would have to deal with any 'drama'. However, weeks later, a report from ESPN's Jordan Schultz suggested that the NBA was preparing an investigation after some nasty allegations on Sarver emerged.
After a few weeks, that report seems to have carried some weight. In a recent story published by ESPN's Baxter Holmes, a serious amount of evidence and testimonies from former Phoenix Suns employees have come to the surface. That suggests that the initial reports about Sarver could be true.
“If the commissioner comes in and investigates to see what the f--- is going on in Phoenix, [he]
would be appalled.”
Based on interviews w/ 70+ current & former employees throughout his 17-year tenure as owner, my story on Robert Sarver’s Phoenix Suns: espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
The story from Baxter Holmes has set the basketball world on fire. The lengthy report details instances of comments from Sarver throughout his ownership with the Phoenix Suns.
The situation is rapidly spiralling out of control for the Suns. With the NBA springing into action following the report, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the league might announce an investigation against Sarver soon.
"I am told to expect that the league will formally announce an investigation of the Suns and Robert Saver, and that I expect would commence immediately."
Reporting on the NBA’s expected response in wake of @baxter’s investigation into Robert Sarver and the Suns. https://t.co/vBVe5ZQQUE
Wojnarowski said that Sarver's investigation could be different than that of former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling. The main reason, as Wojnarowski shared, is that the evidence against Sarver is much stronger than Sterling, which would make for a long investigation.
The league has gotten hold of audio tapes that has provided them hard evidence against Sarver. As per the report, the league may soon gather new information from various sources, which would make the investigation a lengthy one.
"This is an investigation that is going to take time. The league will have the opportunity to not just talk to people about reporting...but also those who may offer new information..."
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns owner issued a public statement in response to the report from Holmes. As expected, Sarver emphatically denied the reports, saying he continued to be 'shocked by the false reporting from Baxter Holmes'.
The NBA is expected to soon launch an investigation into the allegations reported today by ESPN’s @baxter Holmes against Suns majority owner Robert Sarver … and Sarver just issued a statement in response that closes by essentially acknowledging an investigation is forthcoming: https://t.co/xJswSUl3vR
NBA announces investigation against Phoenix Suns owner
As the basketball world tried to process everything that was happening regarding the Phoenix Suns and Robert Sarver, fans awaited an official word from the NBA. That soon came, with Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the NBA has officially announced an investigation into the Phoenix Suns' owner.
The NBA has launched an investigation into the Suns and Robert Sarver, league says.
The Suns were one of the most pleasant surprises last season, but it's been a difficult opening month of the new campaign for them. After the Deandre Ayton contract fiasco, it seemed as if the Suns would have to deal with a bit of an elephant-in-the-room situation.
Now it seems Ayton is not be the biggest of issues for the Suns, with news of investigation about their owner. The Suns are 3-3 on the season, with a favorable upcoming stretch. If the Suns can put together a strong stretch of games and put some wins together, it would be a great way to block out the noise circling around the organization.