Suns owner Robert Sarver barred 1 year, fined $10M US after NBA investigation

The NBA has suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver for one year, plus fined him $10 million US, after an investigation found that he had engaged in what the league called "workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies."

The findings of the league's report, published Tuesday, came nearly a year after the NBA asked a law firm to investigate allegations that Sarver had a history of racist, misogynistic and hostile incidents over his nearly two-decade tenure overseeing the franchise.

The report said Sarver "repeated or purported to repeat the N-word on at least five occasions spanning his tenure with the Suns," though added that the investigation "makes no finding that Sarver used this racially insensitive language with the intent to demean or denigrate."

The study also concluded Sarver used demeaning language toward female employees, including telling a pregnant employee she would not be able to do her job after becoming a mother; made off-colour comments and jokes about sex and anatomy; and yelled and cursed at employees in ways that would be considered bullying "under workplace standards."

The $10 million fine is the maximum allowed by NBA rule. The Suns had no immediate comment on the report, and Sarver did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

Sarver, the league said, cannot be present at any NBA or WNBA team facility, including any office, arena, or practice facility; attend or participate in any NBA or WNBA event or activity, including games, practices or business partner activity; represent the Suns or Mercury in any public or private capacity; or have any involvement with the business or basketball operations of the Suns or Mercury.

The league said it would donate