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NBA star Steph Curry has revealed that he has spoken with Commissioner Adam Silver about the punishment given to disgraced Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver.
Sarver was given a one-year ban and a $10 million fine by the NBA after a league investigation into allegations of racism, sexism and bullying.
The NBA revealed that Sarver used the N-word at least five times, among other violations, including using language and behavior that demeaned female employees, during his nearly two-decade tenure as owner of the NBA’s Suns and WNBA’s Mercury.
‘[I] got [Silver’s] of what decisions and, I think, mechanisms he had to intervene and lay down a sentence worthy of the actions we all responded to and represented the league as a whole and protected the integrity of the league and the standard that we set terms of directors, property, all the way to players,” the Golden State Warriors star told reporters on Sunday.
“There should be a standard about what is acceptable and what is not.”
Steph Curry (L) of Golden State Warriors spoke privately with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (R)
The pair discussed the one-year ban and $10 million fine given to club owner Robert Sarver
Sarver announced last week that he wants to sell the Phoenix franchise and has started giving up on both the Suns and Mercury.
“I think the outcome was exactly what should have happened,” Curry added.
“Frankly, I thought with the penalty handed down it would have taken a little longer, but I’m glad we’ve come to a point where hopefully the team will be up for sale sooner rather than later and can move a little further knowing there would be it should be.’
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) called for Sarver to be banned for life. Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio told ESPN she spoke on behalf of NBA players, saying they “definitely advocate” a lifetime ban.
While the minority owner of the Suns, Jahm Najafi, had called on Sarver to resign, and Phoenix’s owner and sponsor, PayPal, said they would not continue sponsoring the Suns if Sarver returned.
Los Angeles Lakers star James was one of several NBA stars, including Chris Paul and Draymond Green, who rejected the one-year suspension with some calling for a lifetime ban.
In addition to saying the N-word, Sarver is also charged with language and degrading behavior towards female employees, according to the NBA statement (pictured)
Sarver, a real estate developer reportedly worth $850 million, denied or disputed nearly all of the claims in the original ESPN report last year. Earlier this month he apologized (pictured)
A member of Sarver’s own team, Phoenix Suns Guard Chris Paul, said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the report on Sarver’s conduct when he labeled NBA sanctions inadequate.
Paul took to Twitter to voice the sanctions, believing Sarver should have received a more severe sentence.
James lashed out at the NBA for their handling of the situation, insisting there is no place for “that kind of behavior” in the league.
He posted on Twitter: “Read the Sarver stories a few times now. I have to be honest… Our league definitely misunderstood this. I don’t need to explain why.
He wrote: ‘Like many others, I have read the report. I was and am shocked and disappointed by what I read. This behavior, especially towards women, is unacceptable and should never be repeated.
“I believe that the sanctions failed to really address what we all agree was horrendous behaviour. My heart goes out to all those affected.’
Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors star Green called on NBA owners to vote to determine whether Sarver should be removed as majority shareholder of Phoenix Suns, as he called his sentence “bulls***.”
Curry praised his rivals for speaking out, saying: “The top players who also have an interest in protecting the league, all those things are important, and you want quick reactions and reactions to that sort of thing.”
The law firm, which spent nearly a year digging into the situation, determined that Sarver’s use of defamation was “not motivated by racial hostility.”
If that hadn’t been the case, Silver indicated, Sarver’s sentence would have been much harsher.
Sarver bought the franchise in 2004 for $401 million – an NBA record at the time – and Forbes now values the Suns, who appeared in the 2021 NBA Finals, at $1.8 billion.
The NBA has suspended and fined Sarver after an investigation confirmed an ESPN report alleging that Sarver used racist language, made sex-related comments to and assaulted women and employees.
“The statements and behavior described in the independent inquiry’s findings are disturbing and disappointing,” Silver said.
“We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context uncovered by the extensive investigation of this 18-year period.”
Although witnesses claimed to have heard Sarver use the racist slur, the investigation revealed that he either repeated the N-word or claimed to do so. The NBA did not find Sarver using the term “with the intent to humiliate or denigrate.”
In a statement released Wednesday, Sarver said: “Words I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together — and strengthened the Phoenix region — through the unifying power of men’s and women’s professional basketball.
“As a man of faith, I believe in reconciliation and the path to forgiveness. I expected the Commissioner’s one-year suspension to give me time to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams I and so many fans love.
“But in our current unforgiving climate, it’s become painfully clear that that’s no longer possible—that all the good I’ve done, or could do, doesn’t outweigh the things I’ve said in the past. For those reasons I start looking for buyers for the suns and Mercury.
“I don’t want to be a distraction to these two teams and the wonderful people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world. I want the best for these two organizations, the players, the employees, the fans, the community, my co-owners, the NBA and the WNBA. This is the best course of action for everyone.
In the meantime, I will continue to work to become a better person and continue to support the community in a meaningful way. Thank you for continuing to support the Suns and Mercury and embrace the power that sport has to bring us together.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying, “I fully support Robert Sarver’s decision to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. This is the right next step for the organization and the community.”
NBA rules state that to remove an owner, he needs three-quarters of his board of directors to agree to start the process. Last week, Commissioner Silver made it clear in a press conference that he cannot act solely on “the right to take away his team,” referring to Sarver.
Sarver’s case has been compared to that of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned for life in 2014 and fined $2.5 million for racist comments.
Sterling was forced to sell the Los Angeles franchise for $2 billion to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer after 33 years of ownership. Sterling sued the NBA in 2014 for $1 billion, but after a two-and-a-half-year legal battle, the lawsuit was settled in 2016 to let Ballmer’s purchase of the Clippers go through.