Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Apollo

The NBA’s Integrity Problem is on Display with Robert Sarver Suspension

Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver received a one-year suspension from all team activities Tuesday based on an investigation involving over 300 current and former team employees.

Sarver, according to the investigation, used racial slurs on numerous occasions, made inappropriate and sexual comments towards female employees, and revealed himself to male employees “unnecessarily” during a fitness check.

All of that is good and well, surely the NBA gave him a swift and just punishment, right? Wrong.

On top of the one-year suspension, Sarver must pay $10 million and take conduct training. That’s it. That’s the entire punishment.

The kicker? The NBA’s statement asserted that the “investigation made no finding that Mr. Sarver’s workplace misconduct was motivated by racial or gender-based animus.”

The NBA has set a precedent moving forward. Every single employee who was abused by Sarver has been slapped in the face. For a man with a net worth of over $800 million, the measly fine is a drop in the bucket.

Mind you, Donald Sterling was BANNED FOR LIFE from the NBA for his racial misconduct back in 2014. One could argue (heavily, easily if we’re being honest) that Sarver’s actions far exceed those of Sterling.

Suns point guard Chris Paul, who served as President of the NBPA in 2014, was also a member of the Clippers at the time and now finds himself amidst the same type of unacceptable behavior.

When the allegations against Donald Sterling came out, Clippers players threatened to boycott games if swift action were not taken. Could the NBA soon be facing another boycott situation when Sarver is allowed back over team activities?

The NBA has an integrity problem that isn’t going away any time soon if billionaire owners are given free range to belittle, abuse, and demean their employees. The Robert Sarver suspension will come back to haunt the association.

For more NBA content, check out the Apollo NBA blog and be sure to follow us on Twitter!

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Nets fire Nash, hire Celtics' Ime Udoka - ApolloHOU

Leave a Reply

Latest

Image via Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Rockets

Games 13 and 14 What We Learned: Houston Rockets Edition. The streaks keep coming so just keep winning, winning, winning.

Image via Ronald Cortes/Getty Images Image via Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

Rockets

Game 11 & 12 What We Learned: Houston Rockets Edition after the win streak ended, what happened during games 11 and 12?

Sticky Post

For years, Netflix has been putting out absolute stinkers and unleashing them into award season. Their lazy attempts to legitimize their own production company...

Image via Mark J. Terrill/AP Image via Mark J. Terrill/AP

Rockets

The win streak comes to a close at six games, but there were still positive signs. Game 10 of 82 what we learned: Houston...

You May Also Like

Movies & Pop Culture

Let me say right off the top, I hated this movie. Not because it was poorly made but because it is poorly conceived. The...

Movies & Pop Culture

“Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.” Jonah 2:10 If you’ve seen the movie NOPE, the...

Rockets

Coming into the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline, the Houston Rockets were expected to be key players. The Rockets had an abundance of assets and...

Movies & Pop Culture

Fall is here again, and that means so is Oscar Bait szn. My favorite time on the movie release calendar. While the Summer months...