TEMPER TANTRUM

Robert Sarver Wants Out of the Phoenix Suns After Paltry NBA Ban

Sarver responded to what many players felt was a slap on the wrist by ditching the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury entirely.

The owner of the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury teams has started the process of selling both franchises, The Athletic reports. Robert Sarver was slapped with a year long ban from the sport and a $10 million fine on Sept. 13 after an NBA investigation uncovered allegations of racial abuse and sexual harassment, including a handful of incidents where Sarver dropped the N-word. The punishment was heavily criticized by many players, including LeBron James and Draymond Green, who felt it was lenient. “As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness,” Sarver said in a statement Wednesday. “In our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible—that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past.” Sarver, who owns a one-third stake in both teams, became their primary owner when he purchased them in July 2004 for $404 million. Forbes estimated the Suns’ worth at $1.8 billion in Oct. 2021.