Sharpton seeks meeting with NBA commissioner on Sarver investigation
DALLAS — Rev. Al Sharpton hasn’t come close to forgetting about the NBA’s investigation of Phoenix Suns team owner Robert Sarver.
Sharpton is teaming up with civil rights leaders to seek a meeting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about the league’s investigation that began back in November 2021 after an ESPN article detailed alleged acts of racism and misogyny against Sarver that created a toxic environment within the Suns’ organization.
Sarver has strongly denied the allegations and said he welcomed the investigation. Sarver also is majority owner of the Phoenix Mercury franchise.
Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, Maya Wiley, President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation have joined forces to put pressure on Silver to speed up the investigation process.
This comes after the American Sports Accountability Project sent a letter to Silver in March expressing concern about the length of the investigation.
Days later, Sharpton talked with “NBA leadership” days later and requested updates on the investigation by his national convention April 6-9 in New York.
“I do not understand why Sarver is still there,” Sharpton told the Republic in March.
Sharpton has yet to receive an update according to Thursday’s ASAP news release.
The civil rights leader had planned to take “direct action” in Phoenix in the form of a demonstration if he wasn’t provided updates by early April, but he hasn’t done so.
Now, Sharpton is teaming up with fellow civil rights leaders with desires to meet with Silver about the investigation.
“During my initial discussion with NBA leadership last March, I was given reason to believe that this investigation was nearing its end,” Sharpton said in Thursday’s news release. “However, in more than six weeks since that conversation, there is no end in sight. We all respect that the investigation should be thorough, and that investigators should be given time to do their jobs.”
Wachtell Lipton law firm is leading the investigation.
“However, we have seen the NBA swiftly conduct investigations like this before, and six months is more than sufficient time,” Sharpton continued. “Together with my colleagues, I would like to sit down with Commissioner Silver and league leadership and have an honest conversation about what is going on and when we, the public, should expect to see these findings.”
Morial said it’s “unacceptable” how long the investigation has taken.
“The only word from Silver is that it is ‘closer to the end than the beginning,’’ Morial said in Thursday’s news release. “I am disappointed in what appears to be an effort to slow-roll this very serious situation, especially given the NBA’s history of taking swift action in the past. Racism and misogyny should have no place in our sports arenas, and I would expect the NBA to hold true to their commitments on these issues. I look forward to discussing this matter with the leadership of the league.”
In 2014, the league banned Donald Sterling, the former Clippers team owner, for life from the NBA and fined him $2.5 million following an investigation that didn’t last a week into alleged racist comments he made over the phone to his ex-girlfriend, V. Stiviano.
Sterling eventually was forced to sell the team.
Back in March, Sharpton said he was part of the “civil rights leadership” that spoke to Silver about Sterling back in 2014.
“In that meeting, he made multiple promises to us and civil rights leadership that he would not tolerate bigotry of any kind within the league and has seemed to live up to it,” Sharpton said.
As for the Sarver investigation, Sharpton passionately said back in March, “It does not take this long to investigate these multiple, multiple complaints.”
He spoke on Sarver allegedly using the N-word and “treating human beings like his property” as detailed in the ESPN report.
“This is the kind of conduct that is toxic and racist behavior that ought not to be tolerated,” Sharpton said. “As a society, we cannot rubber-stamp this type of misconduct. Certainly I think the NBA should agree with that and this is what I expressed to them.”
Now he has fellow civil rights leaders expressing their issues with the investigation.
“These allegations were uncovered last November when the season was just getting started,” Wiley said in Thursday’s news release. “The fact that we are now in the playoffs and nothing has been done is simply inexcusable. We will not sit by and watch as this investigation drags on as a means to shield Mr. Sarver, continuing in his position of power and celebrating the success of his team as the playoffs continue. We must have transparency, and urgency, from the NBA with regard to Mr. Sarver.”
The Suns have a 2-0 series lead on the Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals.
Game 3 of this best-of-7 series is Friday in Dallas.
“I am disheartened by this entire situation, the allegations themselves, the alleged usage of the N-word on multiple occasions, and the fact that the investigation into these allegations is being conducted under a cloak of darkness,” Campbell said in Thursday’s news release. “Let us be clear: we will not allow Sarver’s actions to be conveniently forgotten.”