The Phoenix Suns strongly rejected a sports outlet report that Robert Sarver, in his 17 years as the club’s owner, has had a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents.
ESPN said Thursday that it had spoken with dozens of employees and former employees of the team to develop the content. Of these, some narrated details about Sarver’s alleged misconduct.
Most of the allegations against the employer come from anonymous sources but some are identified.
In the ESPN report, Sarver rejected or refuted most of the claims against him through his team of attorneys.
“I would be totally pleased with an impartial NBA investigation that could be the only way to clear my name and the reputation of an organization of which I am very, very proud,” Sarver said in a statement released Thursday through his legal team.
Among the allegations: Former Suns coach Earl Watson said Sarver had been upset that forward Draymond Green used the word “black” offensively during a 2016 game and that the owner did the same multiple times when he said. your disgust. Watson pointed out that he had instructed Sarver not to use the word.
Watson managed the Suns for three seasons, some incomplete, until he was fired after three games in the 2017-2018 season.
Sarver said in his statement that Watson was “obviously not a credible source.”
“While this story is full of inaccuracies and misleading, so much so that I hardly know where to start, let me clarify: the ‘n’ word is not part of my vocabulary,” Sarver stated. “I have never called anyone, or any group of people with that word, nor have I referred to anyone or any group of people in that way, either orally or in writing. I don’t use that word ”.
The report also details how Sarver showed several employees a photograph of his wife in a Suns bikini. According to the content, more than a dozen employees also noted that Sarver had a history of “making libidinous comments in meetings with all staff.”
In the ESPN report, league spokesman Mike Bass noted that the NBA has “not received any complaints of misconduct in the Suns organization through our processes, including our confidential workplace phone number or otherwise. correspondence”.
Sarver has owned the Suns since 2004. The 59-year-old businessman also owns the Mercury of Phoenix in the NBA’s women’s league.
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