Report: Robert Sarver Gives $5M to Suns Charity, $20K Bonuses to Over 250 Employees
Former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver donated $5 million to the organization's charity and also gave a $20,000 individual bonus to anywhere between 250 and 300 Suns employees, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
New owner Mat Ishbia announced Sarver's donation and the bonuses in an email to employees Thursday, per Holmes.
"I will say, what a classy way to move on," a current Suns employee told Holmes.
Sarver, 61, sold both the Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury to Ishbia after the NBA suspended him in September for one year and fined him $10 million for workplace misconduct, including using the N-word at least five times around employees "when recounting the statements of others" and "instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees" that included "sex-related comments."
He said in a statement following the league's investigation:
"While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA's report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees. 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.
"I accept the consequences of the NBA's decision. 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."
Sarver then sold his 37 percent stake in the Suns to Ishbia for $1.48 billion. In total, Ishbia holds a 57 percent controlling stake in the organization.
"Family. You're going to hear the word family from us a lot," Ishbia reportedly told employees after purchasing the team. "And I don't know all the details of what's happened before, but I know what we're going to talk about moving forward. That's what matters now. The present and the future are what we're going to focus on. Family, team, togetherness, working together, caring about one another."
