NBA club owner accused of racism sells team

"As a religious person, I believe in redemption and the path to forgiveness"

Majority owner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Phoenix Suns (since 2004) and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Phoenix Mercury Robert Sarver, fined $10 million earlier in an investigation for racism and misogyny, and suspended for a year from participating in the affairs of the club, said on September 21 that he intended to sell his sports franchise.

As MK wrote earlier, in addition to the largest fine and excommunication in the history of the Basketball Association, Sarver was also banned from being near NBA or WNBA facilities, including offices and training facilities, and participating in any NBA or WNBA events or activities, or represent the Suns or the Mercury in any public or private manner.

All this led to the fact that Robert Sarver, a week after the verdict, began to look for buyers for his teams, Reuters reports.

“Abusive words and misbehavior, which I deeply regret, now overshadow almost two decades of building organizations that brought people together and strengthened Phoenix (the capital of Arizona. — Approx. ed.) through the unifying power of professional men's and women's basketball. As a religious person, I believe in redemption and the path to forgiveness... But in our current cruel world and the atmosphere of extreme intolerance in society, it has become painfully clear that this is no longer possible - whatever good I did or could do good outweighs what I spoke in the past. For these reasons, I am beginning to look for buyers for the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury,” he said.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver supported Sarver's decision.

“This is the right next step for our sport and our community,” Silver said in a brief statement.

New Orleans Pelicans defenseman CJ McCollum, president of the NBA Players Union, said in a statement that Sarver made a "quick decision that was in the best interests of our sports community."

Sarver bought the Phoenix Suns in 2004 for $401 million. At the start of last season, the team was valued at $1.8 billion, according to Forbes.

While Sarver controls the Suns and Mercury, he only owns 35 percent of Suns Legacy Partners LLC, the legal entity that owns the teams. Potential buyers may want to buy 100 percent of the teams, which will require negotiations with other members of the ownership group, although some may want to buy the team and may have an advantage after the sale is approved by the NBA.