Suns’ vice chairman, minority owner Jahm Najafi calls for Sarver to resign

Suns’ All-Star point guard and locker room leader Chris Paul said the NBA’s sanctions on team governor and primary owner Robert Sarver “fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior.” That echoed what LeBron James said, what National Basketball Players’ Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio said, what the mayor of Phoenix said, and what many around the NBA and in the media have said. The one-year suspension and $10 million fine for Sarver from the league was a slap on the wrist.

Now there is a call from within the Suns for Sarver to resign.

Suns’ vice chairman and the second-largest share owner of the team Jahm Najafi (second to Sarver) released an open letter calling for Sarver to step down, via Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Here is the letter in its entirety:

“Due to the NBA’s investigation and findings, I have no choice but to speak up on behalf of the hundreds of you who have been impacted by your interactions with Robert Sarver and the resulting investigation of his conduct. I first and foremost want to give my deepest thanks to all of you who garnered the courage to share your experiences, as difficult as it may have been, to help piece together a clearer picture of what work life must have been like for you over these past 18 years.

“There should be zero tolerance for discriminatory actions of any level, in any setting, let alone a professional one. There is no question that the findings determined that Mr. Sarver’s lewd, misogynist, and racist conduct had a substantial negative impact on you and has no place in our society. The report confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses that Robert Sarver used the “N-word” at least five times. The report confirmed Sarver engaged in