On Wednesday, Robert Sarver announced he plans to sell the Suns and Mercury after he was dealt a yearlong suspension and $10 million fine stemming from an investigation into workplace misconduct. Once it was official, LeBron James celebrated on Twitter.
“I’m so proud to be a part of a league committed to progress!” he said in the tweet.
James, Chris Paul and Draymond Green all spoke out against Sarver’s punishment after the details of the investigations emerged.
The investigation found that Sarver used the n-word at least five times “when recounting the statements of others” during his time with both franchises. Additionally, he consistently acted inappropriately toward employees. There were “instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees,” which included “sex-related comments,” the league said in a statement. Additionally, he reportedly engaged in “inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.”
However, the investigation determined that none of Sarver’s behavior was “motivated by racial or gender-based animus.” According to ESPN, Sarver owns roughly 30% of the Suns.
The investigation was launched after ESPN reported dozens of accounts from current and former Suns employees. They detailed in the November 2021 report a toxic workplace environment under the 60-year-old that included both racism and misogyny. The story detailed instances of when Sarver said the n-word, such as when he said he hired Lindsey Hunter as head coach in ’13 over Dan Majerle because “these [n-words] need a [n-word].”
