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Phoenix Suns Owner Being Investigated By NBA For Racism, Misogyny, Creating A Toxic Work Environment
ChillyDawg
Member Posts: 1,469
INFO
Wikipedia (Robert Sarver Bio) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sarver
NEWS
ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny
ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32641522/sources-law-firm-investigating-phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-says-team-employees-granted-confidentiality
ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32757032/as-interviews-begin-phoenix-suns-investigation-uncertainty-remains-whether-employees-signed-ndas-participate-freely
AZ Central https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/11/30/report-ex-disney-ceo-bob-iger-interested-purchasing-phoenix-suns/8814570002/
Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/24/robert-sarver-suns-nba-toughest-test-daily-cover
Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/10/suns-owner-robert-sarver-sexual-jokes-video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzzx1R42l2w
NBA On ESPN: An in-depth look into the allegations against Suns’ owner Robert Sarver. ESPN senior NBA writer, Baxter Holmes joins Outside The Lines to discuss reports that Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has been accused of toxic and hostile workplace behavior by over 70 current and former employees.
On November 4, 2021, Sarver and the Phoenix Suns were the subject of a report written by Baxter Holmes on ESPN which accused Sarver and members of the front-office of racism, misogyny, and sexual harassment, including allegedly requiring a coach to fire a minority agent and allegedly announce his preference for extra large condoms at a staff meeting . The report was corroborated by over seventy former and current employees, players, and coaches of the Phoenix Suns.
What does the ESPN report say about racism?
The report paints a picture of a meddlesome owner who fostered a work environment that was toxic, especially for women and Black people. The most prominent voice in the article was Earl Watson, who is Black and Hispanic and spent parts of four seasons in assistant, interim and head coaching roles with the Suns. He was fired in 2017, three games into his second season as head coach.
According to the report, Watson told ESPN that Sarver came into the coaches’ locker room after one game “repeating the N-word several times in a row” in discussing an opposing player’s use of the word on the court. Watson recounted to ESPN that he told Sarver, “You can’t say that.” At least six staffers told ESPN that they heard Sarver repeat the slur in other instances.
Sarver, through his legal team, told ESPN he had “never called anyone or any group of people the N-word, or referred to anyone or any group of people by the N-word, either verbally or in writing.” He said he had used the word “once many years ago” when he was repeating what a player had said but apologized.
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In 2004, Sarver made “racially insensitive” comments in an initial recruitment meeting with Nash, according to ESPN, which cited three unnamed people who were in the room. Nash, now the head coach of the Nets, declined to comment to The New York Times on Thursday.
What does the report say about sexism and other inappropriate behavior?
Sarver was accused of making inappropriate comments about sex. In one instance, Sarver, according to ESPN, told a pregnant employee that she could not continue her work in coordinating an All-Star game because she would need to breast feed. Sarver denied these accusations.
In another instance, David Bodzin, a former Suns account executive, told ESPN that Sarver pulled Bodzin’s pants down in front of more than 60 employees as part of a charitable event in 2014. Sarver apologized in a statement to ESPN.
Several unnamed women in the article recounted instances of Sarver’s comments making them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.
Is this another Donald Sterling situation?
It’s unclear. Recordings emerged of Sterling, then the Clippers’ owner, making racist statements in 2014, and he was forced out of the league.
In a statement to ESPN, the N.B.A. said that it had not “received a complaint of misconduct at the Suns organization through any of our processes, including our confidential workplace misconduct hotline or other correspondence.”
Sarver has denied almost all of the accusations against him in the piece.
Wikipedia (Robert Sarver Bio) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sarver
NEWS
ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32440987/phoenix-suns-robert-sarver-allegations-racism-misogyny
ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32641522/sources-law-firm-investigating-phoenix-suns-owner-robert-sarver-says-team-employees-granted-confidentiality
ESPN https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32757032/as-interviews-begin-phoenix-suns-investigation-uncertainty-remains-whether-employees-signed-ndas-participate-freely
AZ Central https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2021/11/30/report-ex-disney-ceo-bob-iger-interested-purchasing-phoenix-suns/8814570002/
Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/24/robert-sarver-suns-nba-toughest-test-daily-cover
Sports Illustrated https://www.si.com/nba/2021/11/10/suns-owner-robert-sarver-sexual-jokes-video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzzx1R42l2wNBA On ESPN: An in-depth look into the allegations against Suns’ owner Robert Sarver. ESPN senior NBA writer, Baxter Holmes joins Outside The Lines to discuss reports that Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has been accused of toxic and hostile workplace behavior by over 70 current and former employees.
On November 4, 2021, Sarver and the Phoenix Suns were the subject of a report written by Baxter Holmes on ESPN which accused Sarver and members of the front-office of racism, misogyny, and sexual harassment, including allegedly requiring a coach to fire a minority agent and allegedly announce his preference for extra large condoms at a staff meeting . The report was corroborated by over seventy former and current employees, players, and coaches of the Phoenix Suns.
What does the ESPN report say about racism?
The report paints a picture of a meddlesome owner who fostered a work environment that was toxic, especially for women and Black people. The most prominent voice in the article was Earl Watson, who is Black and Hispanic and spent parts of four seasons in assistant, interim and head coaching roles with the Suns. He was fired in 2017, three games into his second season as head coach.
According to the report, Watson told ESPN that Sarver came into the coaches’ locker room after one game “repeating the N-word several times in a row” in discussing an opposing player’s use of the word on the court. Watson recounted to ESPN that he told Sarver, “You can’t say that.” At least six staffers told ESPN that they heard Sarver repeat the slur in other instances.
Sarver, through his legal team, told ESPN he had “never called anyone or any group of people the N-word, or referred to anyone or any group of people by the N-word, either verbally or in writing.” He said he had used the word “once many years ago” when he was repeating what a player had said but apologized.
Sign up for the Sports Newsletter Get our most ambitious projects, stories and analysis delivered to your inbox every week. Get it sent to your inbox.
In 2004, Sarver made “racially insensitive” comments in an initial recruitment meeting with Nash, according to ESPN, which cited three unnamed people who were in the room. Nash, now the head coach of the Nets, declined to comment to The New York Times on Thursday.
What does the report say about sexism and other inappropriate behavior?
Sarver was accused of making inappropriate comments about sex. In one instance, Sarver, according to ESPN, told a pregnant employee that she could not continue her work in coordinating an All-Star game because she would need to breast feed. Sarver denied these accusations.
In another instance, David Bodzin, a former Suns account executive, told ESPN that Sarver pulled Bodzin’s pants down in front of more than 60 employees as part of a charitable event in 2014. Sarver apologized in a statement to ESPN.
Several unnamed women in the article recounted instances of Sarver’s comments making them feel uncomfortable in the workplace.
Is this another Donald Sterling situation?
It’s unclear. Recordings emerged of Sterling, then the Clippers’ owner, making racist statements in 2014, and he was forced out of the league.
In a statement to ESPN, the N.B.A. said that it had not “received a complaint of misconduct at the Suns organization through any of our processes, including our confidential workplace misconduct hotline or other correspondence.”
Sarver has denied almost all of the accusations against him in the piece.
Comments
Three former Phoenix Suns employees have received messages from Penny Sarver, the wife of Robert Sarver, who is the team's majority owner.
Two messages came from the @pennsar Instagram account and another was a text message from a number that belongs to Penny Sarver.
These former employees say they consider the messages an attempt to intimidate them. The NBA has launched an investigation into Sarver and the Suns in the wake of ESPN publishing a story based on interviews with more than 70 current and former Suns employees who described a sometimes toxic and hostile workplace during Sarver's 17-year tenure in Phoenix.
When reached for comment, Penny Sarver confirmed she sent the messages and said she looks forward to the NBA's investigation.
"Over the weekend, I decided on my own to reach out to a few people to try to set the record straight and to share how disappointed and hurt I am by the lies that are circulating about my husband and the Suns organization," Penny Sarver said. "I shared the betrayal that I felt and I touched on some of the pain that we are going through as a family.
"Any suggestion that I tried to 'intimidate' anyone is as silly as it is wrong and outrageous."
ESPN has reviewed the messages, which the former employees each confirmed receiving.
"This is Penny Sarver," one message began. "I know a lot of bridges were burned between you and Robert and you are very bitter. I want to remind you that real lives are at stake here."
Later, the message added, "Please put your hatred aside and realize the hurt you are causing by spreading lies and fabrications. Is your time in the spotlight that important? If something happens to one of my children, I will hold you and Earl Watson personally responsible. Think about your own child for a second and imagine the tables turned."
12 News Phoenix: Three former Suns employees described messages they received from Penny Sarver, wife of Robert Sarver, as intimidating and unsettling. The Instagram and text messages came in the days following ESPN's bombshell report about the longtime team owner accusing Sarver of racism and misogyny.
Brendon Kleen brings the latest on the Robert Sarver scandal, with Penny Sarver reportedly messaging former Phoenix Suns staffers about the NBA investigation into the team, and whether this means the Sarvers should be put on leave or suspended while the investigation plays out.
Front Office Sports is reporting former Disney CEO Bob Iger is interested in buying the Phoenix Suns.
The report comes as the NBA is investigating Robert Sarver after ESPN reported allegations of racism and misogyny by the majority team owner that created a "toxic" environment within the organization. Sarver has strongly denied the allegations and has said he welcomed the NBA investigation.
Having been a CEO at Disney since 2005, Iger stepped down from that role in 2020, but stayed on as executive chairman.
The 70-year-old will exit from Disney at the end of this year. Iger considered running for President of the United States in the 2016 election.
Jahm Najafi is the top minority owner of the NBA franchise as Sarver owns about 35% of the Suns. The Suns vice chairman called the allegations 'unacceptable" in a statement after the ESPN article posted.
Looking at the possibility of losing ownership of a team, NBA Constitution bylaws state "Membership of a Member or the interest of any Owner may be terminated by a vote of three fourths (3/4 or 75%) of the Board of Governors" for a number of violations.
Here's another that could apply to Sarver's allegations:
"Fail or refuse to fulfill its contractual obligations to the Association, its Members, Players, or any other third party in such a way as to affect the Association or its Members adversely."
Over the past week, the lawyers informed the former employees that they would be released from the agreements in order to speak freely for the investigation, the former employees said. Those who signed NDAs will not be fully released moving forward, the former employees said, and are being released only for the purpose of participating in the investigation.
Some who signed NDAs have already met with the lawyers while others have interviews scheduled in the days ahead, employees said.
NBA On TNT: Charles, Shaq, EJ and Kenny discuss the allegations that Suns governor Robert Sarver used racist and misogynistic language and created a toxic workplace environment.
Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams kept his door open for his players after allegations of racism and misogyny against Suns governor Robert Sarver became public.
Per Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Williams said:
"They know the door was open for them to come talk to me about anything if they needed to, and we did — there were private conversations. We've said wins and losses and nothing will affect our culture. That's how we approach it. That doesn't mean we aren't aware of the allegations and all of that stuff, but we just kept it moving as far as our culture, but we also were aware that there was some serious business being handled, and the league was going to take care of it."
Baxter Holmes of ESPN reported on the allegations after interviewing more than 70 former and current Suns employees who have interacted with Sarver during his 17-year tenure as team governor.
"The level of misogyny and racism is beyond the pale," one Suns co-owner said. "It's embarrassing as an owner."
Holmes' report detailed "a toxic and sometimes hostile workplace under Sarver" in which he "used racially insensitive language repeatedly." Some of the sources said Sarver "fostered an environment in which employees felt they were his property" and engaged in "conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic."
TYT Sports: Robert Sarver's TRUE Self Gets Reveal In New Video.
Seattle Medium https://seattlemedium.com/nba-star-chris-paul-and-phoenix-suns-owner-exemplify-support-for-hbcus/
Washington Informer https://www.washingtoninformer.com/phoenix-suns-owner-sarver-has-long-history-of-supporting-diversity-and-inclusion/