NBA Under High Pressure to Fire Suns Owner

The Phoenix Suns’ owner, Robert Sarver, is under fire for years of employee harassment, and he’s facing calls for a harsher punishment from the team’s sponsor, the team’s owner, and the team’s players. On Tuesday, shortly before the NBA released the results of an independent investigation into Robert Sarver, the majority owner of the Phoenix Suns, Commissioner Adam Silver and Executive Director of the Players’ Union Tamika Tremaglio spoke on the phone.

Silver informed Tremaglio that the report was on the way and that, in light of its conclusions, he had sentenced Sarver to a $10 million fine and a 12-month suspension.

Sarver had mistreated women and used racist slurs:

One of several discussions they have had this week was that one. After reading the 43-page public report that said Sarver had mistreated women and used racist slurs, Tremaglio met with players on the executive committee of the union. After that, she informed Silver that a one-year suspension was unacceptable. She advised Sarver to stay away from the Suns at all costs.

Tremaglio remarks:

In a Friday interview, Tremaglio remarked, “We do need to step up; I have to safeguard our players.” “This, in my opinion, does not protect our players. If we allow it, we are placing kids in a hazardous setting that we already know about.

She claimed Silver had claimed to comprehend.

Tremaglio and other NBA players are not the only ones who want Sarver permanently removed from the league. As the pressure to end Sarver’s affiliation with the NBA grows, a well-known sponsor and a minority Suns owner have both demanded that he step down from his role with the franchise. Sarver. also owns the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.

Suns vice chairman and minority owner called for Sarver to resign:

Jahm Najafi, a Sun’s vice chairman, and minority owner called for Sarver to resign in an open letter to staff members and supporters on Thursday. “I cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege,” he wrote.

During Friday’s game, the Suns learned that PayPal, whose logo appears on the club’s uniforms, would end its sponsorship after the 2022–23 season if Sarver remained involved with the organization after his ban.
President and CEO Dan Schulman called Sarver’s behavior “inappropriate and in contradiction with our ideals” in a public statement.
The investigation report from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz claims that during his 18 years with the team, Sarver engaged in misconduct, such as using “the N-word at least five times,” humiliating and bullying employees, and saying that women cry too much after publicly belittling a female employee.

Sarver may have been suspended for a period of time greater than a year by Silver. However, the highest fine an owner could get was $10 million.

Robert Sarver does not have the right to treat individuals any differently:

“Similar action by any CEO, executive director, president, teacher, coach, or any other position of leadership would demand immediate removal,” Najafi wrote in his open letter. Robert Sarver does not have the right to treat individuals any differently than any other leader simply because he “owns” the team.

There isn’t a simple solution to this problem; rather, Silver said, “Owning property, the rights that come with owning an N.B.A. team, how that’s set up within our constitution, what it would take to remove that team from his control is a very involved process.It’s different from holding a job.” When you genuinely own a team, it is what it is.

When a private recording of Donald Sterling making racist statements against Black people while he controlled the Clippers was made public in 2014, Silver permanently barred him. Additionally, he declared that he would implore the board of governors to oust Sterling as owner. They didn’t have to do that since Rochelle Sterling, Sterling’s wife sold the team.

The consent of three-fourths of the board of governors:

The termination of a person’s ownership is with the consent of three-fourths of the board of governors. It usually consists of owners of all 30 clubs. On Wednesday, Silver claimed that Sarver’s option had not been addressed by the board. In addition, Silver claimed that he didn’t speak with Sarver about voluntarily selling the team, as has been demanded by supporters.

Over the years, Tremaglio continued, “our players have been fairly adamant in saying things that we thought were unfair”. “Both insofar as it pertains to society at large, and insofar as it pertains to them individually. We felt it was important to make it clear that we did not want Sarver to have any managerial responsibilities over the staff members who had direct contact with our athletes on a regular basis.
Tremaglio explained the union’s position in a tweet published on Wednesday night.
She remarked that the alleged actions and behavior of Mr. Sarver were disgusting and had no place in our sport or, more generally, in any workplace.

“Mr. Sarver should never take a managerial position inside our league again”

She added: “I strongly believe that Mr. Sarver should never take a managerial position inside our league again. I have made my stance known to Adam Silver regarding my thoughts on the magnitude of the penalty.”

In a letter to The New York Times, the W.N.B.A. players’ union stated that its union executives were debating the issue and would “present our position privately with both commissioners.”

LeBron James, 37, of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Chris Paul, 37, a guard for the Phoenix Suns, are two of the NBA players with the longest careers. They commented on Twitter on Wednesday to voice their disappointment with the perceived leniency of Sarver’s punishment.

Paul, a player with the Suns for the past two seasons, expressed his horror and disappointment at what he read. “This behavior, in particular with regard to women, is reprehensible. There should be no repetition of such behavior,

“In my opinion, the consequences did not adequately address what we can all agree was heinous behavior. I extend my sympathy to everyone impacted.

Sarver has received little feedback from the players, but media day for the 2022–23 season is on September 26.

Tremaglio stated, “We know that definitely in other leagues and other sports that information does not get public.

She now wishes that, whatever the outcome, Sarver’s ties to the Suns are broken forever.

It’s terrible and undoubtedly a difficult time. However, Tremaglio said the security of his players is his main concern. And I don’t think that being in the same atmosphere that he is won’t put them in the correct frame of mind and body.

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