Suns’ best days may be Sarver’s worst days

If you are Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, these are the best of times.

Unless you are Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, in which case these might turn out to be the worst of times.

Either way, it would be nice if the NBA got off its you-know-what and let the man know where he stands.

It’s too important a time for the team and the fans and Sarver for an investigation that began in November to drag on into the NBA playoffs.

It all began, as you may recall, with an ESPN article alleging that Sarver has fostered a work environment tainted by misogyny, toxicity, racism and more.

Former Suns coach Earl Watson accused Sarver of using the N-word in a conversation.

There were many other ugly allegations in the article.

Sarver vehemently denied them, and said that he welcomed the NBA’s investigation.

It got worse for Sarver when Sports Illustrated unearthed a video of Sarver waxing sexist, vulgar and obscene at a 2020 memorial “roast” for businessman and Suns minority owner Dick Heckmann.

There was no denying Sarver saying things like “my biggest concern was the Heckmann boys were f---ing their way through the cheerleading team.”

Or calling the boat Heckmann owned and kept in Mexico “a bordello. I mean, let’s just be honest about it.”

Or yelling at a neighboring party guest and saying, “I’m gonna guess his receptionist has small (breasts).”

Only he used the 4-letter word beginning with T.

Now, a coalition calling itself the American Sports Accountability Project released a letter it sent to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver urging action to be taken against Sarver.

The group wants Sarver banned from the NBA, as happened with former Clippers team owner Donald Sterling.

Likewise, civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton has joined the fray, saying he would lead a “direct action” protest if the league didn’t act.

“I do not understand why Sarver is still there,” Sharpton said.

The high-powered New York law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is conducting the league’s investigation. It needs to reach a conclusion. Soon.

Like ... now.

The Phoenix Suns are the best team in basketball.

Their first class general manager and the team’s brilliant coach have stood by Sarver. As has Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald, a longtime friend of the Suns owner.

The NBA playoffs are less than a month away.

The Suns look unstoppable, and its great players shouldn’t have to answer nagging questions about the Sarver investigation during a playoff run. And those questions are guaranteed to come up unless the NBA makes known the results of its investigation.

In which case, if you are Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, these could be the best of times.

Unless you are Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns, in which case these might turn out to be the worst of times.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.