Phoenix Suns team owner Robert Sarver suspended for 1-year, fined $10 million after NBA investigation

Robert Sarver, majority owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, received a year suspension from any activities for both teams and fined $10 million for ''workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies'' found during an NBA investigation.

The league announced the results of a 10-month investigation into allegations made against him Tuesday morning.

The NBA launched its investigation last November in reaction to an ESPN report of allegations of racism and misogyny against Sarver, claiming he created a "toxic" work environment within the Suns' organization during his 17-year run as owner.

Sarver denied the allegations from the start of the investigation and said he welcomed the league looking into the allegations.

"Good leadership requires accountability," said Sarver in a statement released Tuesday afternoon by the Suns.  "For the Suns and Mercury organizations, that begins with me.  While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA’s report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees.  I take full responsibility for what I have done.  I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values."

The 60-year-old Sarver purchased the Suns in 2004 for then-record $401 million. According to Forbes, the team was worth $1.8 billion as of October 2021.

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Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz law firm headed the Sarver investigation.

The NBA statement said the firm's investigation concluded that Sarver “engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and league rules and policies.  This conduct included the use of racially insensitive language; unequal treatment of female employees; sex-related statements and conduct; and harsh treatment of employees that on occasion constituted bullying.”

Among the key findings:

• Sarver, on at least five occasions during his tenure with the Suns/Mercury organization, repeated the N-word when recounting the statements of others.

• Sarver engaged in instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees, made many sex-related comments in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women, and on several occasions engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.

• Sarver engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees, including by yelling and cursing at them.

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz was joined by David Anders and Sarah Eddy, partners at the firm, in the investigation.

The law firm out of New York City also conducted the league's investigation on the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 and former Los Angeles Clippers team owner Donald Sterling in 2014, which resulted in Sterling being banned from the NBA, fined and ultimately forced to sell the franchise.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns owner Robert Sarver suspended, fined after NBA investigation