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After a longer than expected wait, Jordan Shultz breaking news has finally paid off, as Baxter Holmes, ESPN Senior Writer, shines a light on the allegations of racism and misogyny by Phoenix Suns Owner Robert Sarver.
“If the commissioner comes in and investigates to see what the f--- is going on in Phoenix, [he]
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) November 4, 2021
would be appalled.”
Based on interviews w/ 70+ current & former employees throughout his 17-year tenure as owner, my story on Robert Sarver’s Phoenix Suns: https://t.co/PMvMyBdr2N
This story first started on October 22nd, when Shultz tweeted that the NBA was preparing for such accusations by a major network against Sarver, starting a massive reaction on social media, especially in Phoenix, as we all braced for its release.
Breaking: The NBA is preparing for a massive story accusing #Suns owner Robert Sarver of racism, sexism and sexual harassment in a series of incidents, sources say. With enough evidence to support such claims, there’s a real chance the league would forcibly remove Sarver.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 22, 2021
The release was expected to happen sometime in the following week (Oct. 25 - 29), but it never did, and some were starting to question if it would ever come at all. This, however, did not stop the Suns organization from presenting a formal response to a story that had yet to see the light of day.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) October 22, 2021
Well, the story finally arrived this Thursday and it seems to be just as serious as everyone promised it would be. The story is based on over 70 interviews with former and current employees of the organization, including serious accusations from former head coach Earl Watson, among other former head coaches, staff members and even former Suns players.
One of the co-owners was quoted stating that “The level of misogyny and racism is beyond the pale” and that “It’s embarrassing as an owner”. After the publication, the Suns confirmed that there will be no shoot-around media availability for today’s game vs. the Houston Rockets.
As this story now begins to unveil, all our expectations are that every single one of the accusations are investigated and further, if found true, properly punished by the authorities and the league. Although it can carry some big basketball implications for the league and the Suns organization in particular, we urge you to remember that the most important part of these stories are the victims of the alleged acts of racism and misogyny - if proven true. Anything else is purely secondary and should be treated as such.
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