On Wednesday, the day after Sarver’s suspension was announced, NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended his decision on the length, saying the owner of the WNBA’s Suns and Phoenix Mercury had “grow as a human“and did” many very positive things. “Superstar LeBron James – who has been one of the biggest faces of the league since turning pro nearly two decades ago – disagrees, saying,”Our federation definitely got it wrong. “
James is not alone in his criticisms. Even Suns minority owner Jahm Najafi on Thursday said he “call for resignation“by Sarver. NAACP President Derrick Johnson was also upset with the ruling, calling the decision”shameful. “
The 60-year-old owner was suspended for a year and fined $10 million following an investigation into the franchise. The investigation concluded that Sarver used the N word “at least five times” when recounting other people’s accounts, while there were also “instances of unfair treatment of female employees, related comments”. regarding gender and inappropriate comments about employees’ physical appearance.”
In addition to the suspension and fine, Sarver is required to undergo a training program focused on respect and appropriate workplace behavior.
