Phoenix Suns vice president Jahm Najafi has called for team owner Robert Sarver to resign. The NBA suspended him for one year and fined him $10 million for years of racist and sexist comments and unprofessional treatment of members of the basketball team.
Phoenix – Phoenix Suns vice president Jahm Najafi has called on team owner Robert Sarver to resign.
The NBA suspended him for one year and fined him $10 million for years of racist and sexist comments and unprofessional treatment of members of the basketball team. Many players in the league consider this punishment too lenient. NBA superstar LeBron James also publicly complained.
Najafi wrote in an open letter Thursday that he could not sit back and let children and future generations of fans think that Sarver’s behavior was condoned because of his wealth and privilege. “Therefore, and in keeping with my commitment to help eradicate all forms of racism, sexism and prejudice, as Vice President of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling on Robert Sarver to resign,” Najafi wrote.
NBA boss Adam Silver described Sarver’s punishment Wednesday as harsh but appropriate, noting that he knew more about the results of the investigation than the general public. He also emphasized that there are high constitutional barriers to taking someone’s property in the United States — and Sarver, who owns the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury in addition to the Suns, is not an employee or CEO.