Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver slapped with a one-year ban and a $10m for misconduct

ThePhoenix Suns have been dealt a heavy blow after their ownerand that of sister team Phoenix Mercury, Robert Sarver, was slapped with a one-year-long suspension. In addition, he found himself at the receiving end of a whopping $10 million fine.

The NBA conducted an investigation, which prompted the authorities to level these penalties on the Suns' frontman. The probe revealed that Sarver had indulged in what the league defined as“workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies”.

This comes nearly a year after the league initially contacted a law firm to get to the bottom of several allegations levelled against Sarver that claimed that he had a history ofmisogynistic,racist and hostile incidents.

Sarver, who has been at the helm of the franchise for over two decades, found himself disagreeing with certain findings of the investigation. However, he accepted the consequences of his actions and vowed to abide by the league's decision regardless. He further issued an apology to all those employees, who may have felt offended by his statements.

The report stated that Sarver 'repeated or purported to repeat the N-word on at least five occasions spanning his tenure with the Suns.' However, it is interesting to note that the investigation could not prove whether his usage of the slur was meant to demean or degrade any individuals.

Sarver also issued a statement after finding himself at the receiving end of the heftiest fine that is allowed by the NBA. "I take full responsibility for what I have done. I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values.

"This moment is an opportunity for me to demonstrate a capacity to learn and grow as we continue to build a working culture where every employee feels comfortable and valued,” said Sarver.