Phoenix Suns governor Robert Sarver, the subject of much controversy after being found guilty of making misogynistic and racist remarks, has finally made the decision to relinquish ownership of the team. After initially being suspended for a year and fined $10 million, it was announced that Sarver “has started the process” to sell both the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury, much to the chagrin of some, like LeBron James. However, it appears as if there are plenty of people behind the scenes who are more than happy to see Sarver leave the NBA's esteemed group of governors.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA community will be relieved after being bailed out by Sarver's decision, as they would not have liked to deal with the possibility of Sarver's continued portrayal of himself as a victim after his one-year suspension.
Wojnarowski wrote, “There were always concerns that Sarver's stubbornness and desire to paint himself as the victim would make him willing to continue as a pariah in the NBA community, but his decision to sell the Suns and Mercury bails out the league and his ownership peers.”
There were always concerns that Sarver's stubbornness and desire to paint himself as the victim would make him willing to continue as a pariah in the NBA community, but his decision to sell the Suns and Mercury bails out the league and his ownership peers. https://t.co/LD7o1OYhQ0
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2022
In Robert Sarver's statement announcing his intent to sell, he said, “As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.”
How could Sarver expect to make amends by staying in a place where he's negatively affected the lives of those he's worked with? For forgiveness to come, one must actively go out of their way to help those they affected, and if those people are the ones calling for your resignation, then you better heed that call without that begrudging attitude.
Sarver added, “in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that [forgiveness] is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past.” From that statement alone, it was painfully obvious that he still doesn't understand why fans, players and peers had been calling for his removal from the Suns organization.
Nevertheless, in spite of Robert Sarver's attitude, his decision to sell could only be a good thing for the NBA. Hopefully for everyone, the next Suns governor ushers in a culture turnaround for a franchise in need of one.
Follow Us
Subscribe