Robert Sarver made a big decision on Wednesday, announcing he's started the process of selling both the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a short, but powerful statement on the matter.
I fully support the decision by Robert Sarver to sell the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. This is the right next step for the organization and community.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement: pic.twitter.com/ykBrsEoxc0
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) September 21, 2022
Silver faced lots of criticism himself after the league only suspended Sarver for one year and fined him just $10 million last week after investigations revealed that he'd used racial slurs and been sexually inappropriate with staff in the workplace. However, as Ramona Shelburne pointed out on NBA Today, Adam Silver was one of many who were pressuring Sarver to sell. Via BR:
“There was a lot of private pressure on Robert Sarver behind the scenes,” Shelburne said Wednesday on NBA Today. “We heard PayPal, but there were a lot of other league sponsors and team sponsors that were lining up to pull away from the Suns and not be publicly associated with them.
“There was also the pressure applied by other owners and Adam Silver behind the scenes. Silver is obviously very good at applying pressure when needed to be and facilitating these types of conversations and discussions to get to this place.”
This was the only option for Sarver. No one was ever going to forget what he did and said. The Suns will be much better off now with a new owner in the near future. That's a guarantee.
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