Robert Sarver's frequent usage of racist and sexist remarks toward his workers has him in trouble with the NBA. The Phoenix Suns owner has been suspended for one year by the NBA and must pay a fine of $10 million.
The appalling bigotry Sarver displayed, which was originally revealed by ESPN's Baxter Holmes, has made it easy to compare him to Donald Sterling, the former LA Clippers owner that was ousted from the league in 2014. After his racist comments came to light, Silver was quick to ban him for life and fine him $2.5 million, the maximum amount the league could levy. But this time around, Sarver will get to keep his team.
Commissioner Adam Silver said that the cases between Robert Sarver and Donald Sterling are “dramatically different,” per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
Silver said this case is “dramatically different” than what happened with Donald Sterling. He has said multiple times already that he has a more context for this situation than the general public because of confidential parts of this report that add another layer of nuance.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 14, 2022
Suns staffers are upset with the NBA over its “spineless” punishment. Indeed, a punishment so lax for someone who created a horrible work environment got off very easily. Being banned for only a year and paying a fine that is less than each of the 2022-23 salaries for every Suns start is weak.
Adam Silver inadvertently let the cat out of the bag by saying that Robert Sarver got preferential treatment in the face of a scandal because he owns a team. It's no secret that commissioners of professional sports leagues are responsible for standing up for their billionaire owners, but Silver is really letting Sarver off lightly. He also said that Sarver has done some good things and grown a lot during his time as Suns owner.
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