LeBron James believes Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury managing partner Robert Sarver should be facing a harsher penalty than a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine.
The Los Angeles Lakers star said "our league definitely got this wrong," adding "I said it before and I’m gonna say it again, there is no place in this league for that kind of behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn't right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place."
The NBA announced Sarver's punishment on Tuesday following an investigation that determined he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards".
Sarver first came under significant scrutiny in November 2021 when ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on multiple allegations of racism and misogyny by Sarver during his time with the Suns.
The NBA responded by initiating an independent investigation and the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz released its findings Tuesday in a 43-page report following interviews with 320 people and a review of more than 80,000 documents.
Notably, the investigation determined Sarver "said the N-word in repeating or purporting to repeat a Black person on at least five occasions during his tenure, including after being advised not to do so" and "made many sex-related comments in the workplace."