Robert Sarver has announced that he has begun the process to sell the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury.
Sarver was suspended one year and fined $10 million last week after an NBA investigation found that he used the N-word at least five times “when recounting the statements of others.”
Sarver also was involved in “instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees,” including “sex-related comments” and inappropriate comments on employees’ appearances.
“As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness,” Sarver said in a statement Wednesday. “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.
“But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible — that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury.”
“Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together — and strengthened the Phoenix area — through the unifying power of professional men’s and women’s basketball,” Sarver wrote in his statement.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he “fully supports” the decision by Sarver to sell the teams. “This is the right next step for the organization and community,” Silver said.
Suns president and CEO Jason Rowley told staff that it was important for the organization to “recognize some missteps” that they’ve had in the past, and he apologized to any current or former staffers who have had “an unpleasant experience” here.
“Leadership starts at the top,” he added, in part.
