![]() "On one occasion a player used the N-word to describe the importance of having each others' back," Sarver said through his attorneys. Sarver did acknowledge using the word once many years ago. It is abhorrent and ugly and denigrating and against everything I believe in." "I've never called anyone or any group of people the N-word, or referred to anyone or any group of people by the N-word, either verbally or in writing. Through his legal team, Sarver denied using racially insensitive language. Said a former Suns basketball executive: "There's literally nothing you could tell me about him from a misogynistic or race standpoint that would surprise me." "The level of misogyny and racism is beyond the pale," one Suns co-owner said about Sarver. Some said the longtime owner fostered an environment in which employees felt they were his property, even once asking one woman whether he "owned" her to determine whether she worked for the Suns. Employees recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic, including Sarver once passing around a picture of his wife in a bikini to employees and speaking about times his wife performed oral sex on him. Some told ESPN that he has used racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office. Interviews with more than 70 former and current Suns employees throughout Sarver's 17-year tenure describe a toxic and sometimes hostile workplace under Sarver. The anecdote offers a glimpse into conduct that, sources told ESPN, Sarver has often exhibited since buying the Suns in 2004. "You can't f-ing say that," Watson said again. "You can't say that," Watson, who is Black and Hispanic, told Sarver. "You know, why does Draymond Green get to run up the court and say ," Sarver, who is white, allegedly said, repeating the N-word several times in a row. The Warriors took control in the fourth quarter and cemented a 106-100 win, dropping the Suns to 0-3.Īfter the loss, Suns majority owner Robert Sarver entered the coaches locker room, Watson told ESPN. Still, the Suns were playing the eventual NBA champions close, even leading by 13 in the first half. The young Phoenix Suns team had been toiling at the bottom of the NBA's standings for years, missing the playoffs for six straight seasons while churning through head coaches. ![]() 30, 2016, at Talking Stick Resort Arena in downtown Phoenix, Earl Watson, in just his third game as the Suns' head coach, faced a tall task: beat the powerhouse Golden State Warriors. 13, the NBA announced the conclusion of its report, suspending Sarver for one year and fining him $10 million. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĪllegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix Suns: Inside Robert Sarver's 17-year tenure as ownerĮditor's note: ESPN's investigation into Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver and the Suns' workplace culture originally published on Nov.
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