Paul, Booker address Sarver allegations, NBA investigation
Chris Paul and Devin Booker sat side by side addressing the biggest story involving the Suns not only this season, but in recent memory.
After Thursday’s 123-111 win over Houston at Footprint Center, the All-Star backcourt tandem took questions about an ESPN report of allegations of racism and sexism directed at Suns team owner Robert Sarver.
“I think for us, it’s about controlling what we can control, and that’s hooping,” Paul said. “That’s basketball. That’s what we did today and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
When a tweet two weeks ago forecasted a story was coming about Sarver, Booker was in wait-and-see mode about the situation
“I think something has to come out first before we comment on any situation,” Booker said after Suns defeated the Lakers. “We’ll see.”
The story then dropped Thursday with details about an alleged conversation between Sarver and then-Suns head coach Earl Watson about Draymond Green in which Sarver asked Watson why can Green use the N-word in an Oct. 30, 2016 home game.
Watson told ESPN he responded by saying Sarver couldn’t say that racist word, but Sarver replied why not because Green said it.
Booker was on that team as it was his second NBA season.
Watson recalled the argument with Sarver was in the coaches room, which was across the hall from the locker room and away from the players. So no one was in the room, but Booker, when asked if he had heard about it, said he hadn’t.
“I wasn’t aware of the situation and in my seven years I’ve been here, I haven’t noticed that, but that doesn’t make me insensitive to the subject,” Booker said.
Both players noted the upcoming investigation the NBA will have on the situation.
“They’ll do their due diligence, bringing out facts instead of he said, she said,” Booker said. “I’m sure the NBA has it in good hands and will do the proper research to find out the truth.”
Paul was asked about Donald Sterling, who was the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers when his racists remarks in a conversation that was recorded.
The recording ultimately factored in Sterling receiving a lifetime ban from the NBA in 2014. Paul was on that team.
When asked if that situation is a fair or unfair comparison to this one involving Sarver, Paul said he didn’t know if it is or isn’t.
“I feel like situations are different,” Paul said. “We dealt with that in that time when all of that happened. I think right now, like Book said, we’re not insensitive to everything that was said, but we don’t know all the details. So the NBA will do its investigation and in that time, all of us on our team, we’ll continue to play and do what we do.”
Williams: ‘It’s just been a lot to process’
As for Suns coach Monty Williams, he too is trying to navigate through the impact of the Sarver allegations as well as direct his basketball team.
He’s taking the allegations seriously, is sensitive to all of them, but wants to have a clearer understanding of the facts and admits it’s a lot to process.
A man of faith, Williams even talked to his mentor, a reverend, before speaking with the media before Thursday’s game against the Rockets, but there is one thing he is certain of regardless of what is
being said or reported.
“An article was written, many opinions were shared, many feelings were shared, but all of it happened before I was here,” Williams said. “Based on what you know about me, the little you know about me, if any of that stuff happened while I was here, I wouldn’t be in this seat.”
Williams said he first saw the article that alleged Sarver using the N-word on multiple occasions and making sexist comments during his 17-year run as team owner at 9 a.m. during a coach’s meeting Thursday morning.
“It’s just been a lot to process,” Williams said.
While Williams said his team has “a ton of leaders” and have dealt with adversity before like being in the Orlando Bubble in 2020, but continued to admit this situation is different.
“This is a situation where they’re going to rally around each other and hoop,” Williams said. “That’s what we do. At the same time, these aren’t comfortable situations. I understand the sensitivity of everything that’s been said or written about and expressed and it takes courage to
come out and express yourself. And at the same time, I’m aware there are two sides to this equation.”
Williams also addressed the notion that is similar to when Sterling got in trouble for making racist remarks. He noted the difference is there was actual proof of Sterling’s thoughts in a conversation that was recorded. The ESPN story doesn’t have that kind of evidence in relation to Sarver.
Williams is waiting on the results of the investigation in helping see the situation more clearly.
“We’ll know more once that is settled,” Williams said.
Williams talked about how team ownership was a big deal for him when taking the position as Suns coach before the 2019-20 season. At the time he was hired, Williams said Sarver admitted in their talks to some past mistakes he’d made.
“To say that ownership didn’t play a big deal in my decision to come here, that would be false,” Williams said. “It was. I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have the partnership and the relationship that I had with Robert the past two years.”