Suns, Mercury owner announces intention to sell teams amid controversy

Robert Sarver, the principal owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, announced plans on Wednesday to sell his stake in both franchises amid allegations of workplace misconduct against him and his organization. 

In a news release, Sarver, who has owned both sports franchises since 2004, said that he believes in the path of forgiveness and had been willing to accept the NBA’s punishment against him and move forward. 

“But 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 said in a statement, according to CNBC. “For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.” 

He added that he doesn’t want to be a distraction for the teams, adding he wants the best “for these two organizations, the players, the employees, the fans, the community, my fellow owners, the NBA and the WNBA.” 

“In the meantime, I will continue to work on becoming a better person, and continuing to support the community in meaningful ways,” Sarver concluded. “Thank you for continuing to root for the Suns and the Mercury, embracing the power that sports has to bring us together.” 

Sarver’s announcement comes a week after the NBA suspended him for one year and fined him $10 million following a league investigation that found he used a racial slur on at least five occasions over 18 years and engaged in inappropriate conduct with female and male employees. 

The NBA launched its investigation last year after ESPN published a story in which dozens of sources alleged Sarver had engaged in racist and misogynistic behavior during his tenure.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at a press conference a day after the punishment was handed down that Sarver’s conduct was “indefensible” and that he felt the league handled Sarver’s punishment in a “fair manner.”

A slew of NBA stars, however, including Los Angeles Laker forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, and Suns guard Chris Paul voiced their displeasure with the league’s punishment, calling it insufficient. 

The last time an NBA owner was forced out or sold their ownership stake was former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned by the league in 2014 after making racist comments in a leaked phone conversation with his ex-girlfriend.

Others have also been critical of the punishment, including Suns Vice Chairman Jahm Najafi, who called for Sarver to sell his stake in the team; PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, who threatened to end the company’s sponsorship of the team if Sarver wasn’t removed as owner; the NAACP, which called out the league for its actions; and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who said in his own statement that the league’s board of governors should remove Sarver from his ownership role.