Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul says NBA ‘fell short in addressing Robert Sarver’s atrocious behavior’

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul was left ‘horrified and disappointed’ by the report on owner Robert Sarver’s conduct as he slammed the NBA’s sanctions as insufficient.  

Suns and Mercury owner Sarver was suspended by the NBA for one year and fined $10million following a league investigation into allegations that he engaged in racism, sexism, and bullying. 

In a statement on Tuesday, the NBA revealed it found that Sarver used the N-word on at least five occasions among other transgressions from his nearly two-decade tenure as owner of the Suns and WNBA’s Mercury.

In addition to saying the N-word ‘at least five times,’ Sarver is also accused of using language and engaging in conduct demeaning to female employees, including the time he asked a pregnant worker if she would be unable to perform her duties after becoming a mother. The unidentified woman was told by a team executive to start looking for a new job, and was ultimately demoted.

In a statement released by the league, it announced that an independent investigation had concluded that ‘Mr. Sarver engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards, as reflected in team and League rules and policies’.

Many had expected a penalty similar to the one received by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned from the league and fined $2.5million after he was heard on tape making racist comments in 2014.

Phoenix Suns’ Chris Paul was ‘horrified and disappointed’ by owner Robert Sarver’s conduct

Suns owner Sarver has been suspended by the NBA for one year and fined $10 million

However, despite the revelations, the league has allowed Sarver to keep his position with the Suns. 

Paul took to Twitter to hit out at the sanctions, believing that Sarver should have faced a harsher punishment.  

He posted: ‘Like many others, I reviewed the report. I was and am horrified and disappointed by what I read. This conduct especially towards women is unacceptable and must never be repeated.

‘I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected.’

Paul was also a member of the Clippers during the Sterling controversy and did not hold back on voicing his thoughts on the situation then either. 

Paul hit out at the sanctions, believing that Sarver should have faced a harsher punishment

Paul was also a member of the Clipper during the Donald Sterling (left) controversy in 2014

The veteran floor general even went as far as to threatened to boycott the season if Sterling remained the owner. 

However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver revealed on Wednesday that Sarver was likely spared even stronger sanctioning by the NBA for his racist, misogynistic and hostile words and actions because of one key conclusion by investigators.

The law firm that spent nearly a year digging into the situation determined Sarver’s use of slurs ‘was not motivated by racial animus.’

Had that not been the case, Silver indicated, Sarver’s punishment – a one-year suspension and $10million fine – would have been far more severe.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated Sarver’s punishment could have been worse 

‘It was relevant,’ Silver said after the league’s Board of Governors meetings concluded. 

‘I think if they had made findings that, in fact, his conduct was motivated by racial animus, absolutely that would have had an impact on on the ultimate outcome here. But that´s not what they found.’ 

Silver also insisted that contrasts could be made between Sarver’s case and Sterling’s as he said: ‘This case is very different. It’s not that one was captured on tape and the other isn’t. … Mr. Sarver ultimately acknowledged his behavior.’