NBA Suspends Phoenix Suns Owner Robert Sarver for 1 Year Over Racist and Sexist Comments

Christian Petersen/Getty Robert Sarver

The NBA has suspended Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver for one year and fined him $10 million after an independent investigation found the team's owner "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards."

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the suspension on Twitter after a months-long independent investigation conducted by the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz that was prompted by a Nov. 4, 2021 ESPN story detailing allegations of racism and misogyny within Phoenix's workplace culture.

60-year-old Sarver, who also owns the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, may not visit any NBA or WNBA team facilities, attend or participate in any events sponsored by the two leagues, or "have any involvement with the business or basketball operations" of the two clubs, according to the NBA's statement.

He must also "complete a training program focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace" during the course of his suspension. The NBA said it plans to donate the $10 million fine — the maximum permitted by the league's constitution — to "organizations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace."

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The investigation, which included interviews with 320 individuals who formerly worked for or currently work for the Suns and Mercury since Sarver took over as team owner in 2004 and "more than 80,000 documents and other materials," found the teams' owner "repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others" on at least five occasions, as well as "made inappropriate comments about the appearance of female employees and other women" and "engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees," among other findings.

Investigators also concluded Suns employees engaged in workplace misconduct "not directly related to Mr. Sarver," describing instances of "racial insensitivity, mistreatment of female employees, inappropriate comments related to sex or sexual orientation, and disrespectful communications."

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"The investigation also concluded that the Suns' Human Resources function was historically ineffective and not a trusted resource for employees who were subjected to acts of improper workplace conduct," reads the NBA's statement.

"The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

In response to the suspension, the Suns said in a statement shared publicly Tuesday that the league's findings "focus, for the most part, on historical matters that have been addressed in recent years" and said it will "implement the workplace improvements the NBA has identified to the extent that we have not yet done so."

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"Robert Sarver is also taking responsibility for his actions," the Suns' statement reads. "He recognizes that at times during his eighteen years of ownership, his conduct did not reflect his, or the Suns' values, and was inconsistent with the advancements the management team has taken with Robert's full support."

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The independent investigation's full report was made publicly available on the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz firm website Tuesday.

"Among other examples, [Sarver] told a pregnant employee that she would be unable to do her job upon becoming a mother; berated a female employee in front of others and then commented that women cry too much; and arranged an all-female lunch so that female employees at Western Alliance Bank, where at the time he was CEO, could explain to female Suns employees how to handle his demands," reads an excerpt of the investigation's findings.

The NBA, which acknowledged that Sarver "cooperated fully" with the investigation, noted in a release Tuesday that the Suns owner provided a submission to investigators showing his personal and professional commitment to social and racial justice issues and promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion.

"The investigation did not purport to undertake a comprehensive assessment of Sarver's views and conduct on all matters touching race, sex, and gender," an excerpt of the full independent report reads. "Instead, the investigation sought to gather facts to determine whether, in his workplace dealings with Suns personnel, Sarver engaged in conduct contrary to standards applicable to him as Governor of the Suns organization."