On Friday afternoon, reports began circulating of a story involving Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver that, per Jordan Schultz, accused Sarver “of racism, sexism and sexual harassment in a series of incidents.” While the story has yet to be released as of this writing, the Suns have decided to respond before it dropped.
A statement featuring Suns Legacy Partners, LLC; Sarver; general manager James Jones; and team president Jason Rowley claims that “ESPN is considering publishing a proposed story that makes completely baseless claims against the Suns Legacy Partners, LLC organization concerning a variety of topics.” While it does not get into any of the specifics of the upcoming story, the statement denied any of the alleged things rumored to be in it.
Full statement from the Suns organization pic.twitter.com/oIfF1mlQKn
— Brendon Kleen (@BrendonKleen14) October 22, 2021
Sarver, who made his money as a real estate developer, has owned the Suns since 2004, when he purchased the franchise for a then-NBA record $401 million. While the team has come close throughout his tenure, Phoenix has not lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy during his time at the helm. Sarver has, in the past, come under fire from Suns fans for his management of the team’s books — Sarver has not paid the luxury tax since 2010, and as a result, some of the moves the franchise has made under his ownership have come under fire. The most recent example of this came earlier this month when the team was unable to come to terms on a max rookie extension with former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.
In addition to owning the Suns, Sarver owns RCD Mallorca, a soccer team which currently plays in Spain’s first division.