Suns owner Robert Sarver denies allegations of racism and sexism that was presented publicly in a lengthy article by Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
“A Black basketball operations staffer told ESPN he has heard Sarver say the N-word multiple times.
Sarver once used the N-word when trying to explain to a staffer why he preferred hiring Lindsey Hunter over Dan Majerle as head coach in 2013, according to a high-level executive who heard the remark. Hunter was a first-year Suns player development coordinator while Majerle was in his fifth year as a Suns associate head coach.
“These [N-words] need a [N-word],” Sarver told the staffer of his largely Black team, according to the executive.
Through legal representation, Sarver denied the allegation about Hunter, saying he never used the N-word and “never used words to that effect,”
More than a dozen employees recalled Sarver making lewd comments in all-staff meetings, including discussing times when his wife would perform oral sex on him. Four former employees said that in several all-staff meetings Sarver claimed he needed to wear Magnum or extra-large condoms. Former employees said he asked players about their sex lives and the sexual prowess of their significant others.
“Women have very little value,” one female former staffer said she felt. “Women are possessions. And I think we’re nowhere close to where he thinks men are.”
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Through his legal team, Sarver denied talking about his sex life with employees and said he had “absolutely not” talked about condoms.”
Everybody may have been shocked by what they heard, but not Baron Davis.
“Are you surprised?” Davis said of the allegations. “God damn, man. Look at that motherfucker.”
“Baron Davis seems to believe the troubling allegations against Robert Sarver are true … ’cause the ex-NBA star tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Suns owner ‘is a piece of s—,’” TMZ Sports wrote.
“The former Golden State Warriors guard said he sat next to the 60-year-old at some point during the NBA lockout in 2011 … and he clearly got a bad vibe from the dude.”
The NBA has launched an investigation into Sarver and the Suns. Depending on the outocme, Sarver may find himself on the outside looking in like former Clipers owner Donald Sterling.
The 42-year-old retired with averages of 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest. He was a 40.9 percent shooter from the field and 32.0 percent shooter from deep.
His final season in the league was the 2011-12 campaign.
