James, like many former players and pundits, believes that “there is no place for misogyny, sexism and racism in any workplace. It doesn’t matter if you own the team or play for the team.” Perhaps even more crucially, Suns point guard, locker room captain and former NBA Players Association president Chris Paul just released a statement on Twitter that reads in part: “I was and am appalled and disappointed by what I read… I am of the view that the sanctions have failed to really address what we can all agree was appalling behaviour.’ Like many others, I reviewed the report. I was and am appalled and disappointed by what I read. This behavior especially towards women is unacceptable and should never happen again. — Chris Paul (@CP3) September 15, 2022 Paul’s words may carry as much or more weight than James’ because he was the leader of the Los Angeles Clippers when, in 2014, team owner Donald Sterling was forced to sell the team after he was caught on tape making racist comments. This week, the league, after a months-long investigation, confirmed details about Sarver’s behavior that were first brought to light nearly a year ago in a November 2021 ESPN report. That report included instances where Sarver repeatedly used the N-word over the course of decades in front of players, coaches, team personnel and even in an email to the league. According to the NBA’s own findings, Sarver also joked that the team should have players “infuse local stripers so they feel connected to the area, giving the Suns a potential advantage in free agency recruiting.” . Sarver, according to the NBA, described sexual acts with his wife in front of employees and told a female employee that she “wouldn’t be able to do her job when she became a mother,” claiming she would be busy “breastfeeding” and that “The baby needs its mother, not its father.” After the employee cried in response, Sarver asked why the women were “crying so much.” In addition, there were “sex-related comments” directed at female employees, according to the NBA’s report. Sarver, it’s important to note, also owns the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. A former Suns basketball executive told ESPN of him in 2021: “There’s literally nothing you could tell me about him from a misogynistic or racial standpoint that would surprise me.” However, the league’s investigators concluded that “there was no finding that Sarver’s conduct was motivated by racial or ethnic animosity.” He received a one-year ban and a $10 million fine. This is the maximum fine allowed by the NBA. But Sarver’s net worth is on the low end of $400 million and on the high end of $850 million, according to reports. League commissioner Silver said yesterday that if the independent investigation had found racial or ethnic animosity, “absolutely that would have had an impact on the bottom line here. But that’s not what they found.” Also, that he doesn’t have the power to force Sarver to sell the team, which is technically true. Many compared Sarver’s statements to those of former Clippers owner Sterling. In 2014 Silver, who was only a few weeks into his job as NBA Commissioner, banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million. He also called on other NBA team owners to force Sterling to sell the team, adding that he will “do everything in my power to make sure that happens.” Silver said at the time that it would take a 3/4 vote of the owners to force Sterling to sell for that to happen, adding confidently, “I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to get him out.” In Sterling’s case, there was massive outcry from the likes of then-President Barack Obama, Lakers great Magic Johnson and Jon Stewart. Many of the Clippers’ corporate sponsors, including companies such as Kia and Carfax, ended or suspended their relationships with the team. Not so this time — at least not yet — and Silver was less harsh about Sarver’s transgressions. “I think what we saw in the case of Donald Sterling was blatant racist behavior directed at a select group of people,” the commissioner said this week. “Although it’s hard to know what’s in someone’s heart or mind, we heard those words… In the case of Robert Sarver, I would say, first of all, we look at the totality of the circumstances over an 18- period of time in which he was owner of those groups, and we finally made a judgment — I made a judgment — that in the circumstances in which she had used that language and that behavior, while, as I said, it was indefensible, it’s not strong enough.” The league’s marquee player disagrees. “I love this league and have the utmost respect for our leadership. But that’s not right,” James tweeted today. “We hold up our league as an example of our values and that’s not it.” Here is James’ statement in full: Read Sarver’s stories a few times now. I have to be honest…Certainly our league got it wrong. I don’t need to explain why. You will read all the stories and decide for yourself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is no place in this league for this type of behavior. I love this league and have the utmost respect for our leadership. But this is not correct. There is no place for misogyny, sexism and racism in any workplace. It doesn’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this is not it. Read Sarver’s stories a few times now. I have to be honest…Certainly our league got it wrong. I don’t need to explain why. You will read all the stories and decide for yourself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s no place in this league for that — LeBron James (@KingJames) September 14, 2022 The NBA preseason begins on September 30. The Suns’ first game is Oct. 5 against James’ Los Angeles Lakers. In 2014, during the Sterling case, Paul and other Clippers players considered not taking the floor in protest. They chose to play for each other, not for Sterling. While there is no indication of such a possibility at this time, the way things play out over the next two weeks could have some bearing on this matchup between two of the league’s teams and players, and potentially a bigger impact on Sarver and/or link.
