NBA investigation found no 'smoking gun' on Suns owner Robert Sarver, but there IS a video

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver did not get kicked out of the NBA’s ownership group because, unlike the 2014 lifetime ban imposed on then-Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, there was no “smoking gun.”

Sterling was caught on tape making sexist and racist remarks.

Sarver got a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine for the “indefensible” behavior first reported by ESPN and confirmed by an independent NBA investigation.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver hedged on the notion of “indefensible,” however, saying, “This case is very different (from Sterling’s) and it’s not that one was captured on tape and the other isn’t. ‘Indefensible’ is not strong enough – it’s beyond the pale in every possible way – but it was a whole different context than what we saw in that earlier case.”

What part of 'indefensible' doesn't Silver get?

Really?

Because I don’t believe there is any logical, grammatical or moral context allowing for variations of “indefensible.”

Indefensible is … indefensible.

A lot of individuals don’t agree with the NBA’s conclusion. It sounds tough in some ways, but $10 million is chump change to Sarver. And his continuing ownership stake in the team will earn that money back in no time.

Another view: Robert Sarver deserved to have the Suns taken away

Still, his fate probably will come down to what John Hollinger wrote in The Athletic. He said, “Unfortunately, it will likely be up to sponsors, minority owners, the media and even the players to do the league office’s dirty work from here, especially given the absence of smoking-gun audio.”

Actually, there IS some pretty damning video and audio of Sarver.

It was unearthed last year by Sports Illustrated and got some attention when the Sarver investigation first made the news. It deserves to be revisited now.

No N-word, but Sarver said lots of nasty stuff

Sarver doesn’t use the N-word in it, but the video Sports Illustrated unearthed of him at a memorial “roast” for a partner has the Suns owner speaking like an arrogant, profane, misogynistic fat cat, and tells you all you need to know.

The video, from 2021, shows Sarver at the memorial for the late Dick Heckmann, a minority owner of the team.

He begins talking about the early days of his ownership and partnership with Heckman, saying he was concerned about building a winning team and ticket sales, and saying, “What I really know is my biggest concern was the Heckmann boys were f---ing their way through the cheerleading team. And Dick was chasing everything that moved in Scottsdale.”

He added, of his partner, “Someone said he left his DNA. He did leave his DNA in Steve Nash’s socks somewhere in the locker room.”

I know.

Ick.

'Sex math' and other icky revelations

Sarver talks about a boat he and others had in San Diego and how he stopped there once with his kids, saying, “First room I open, there’s two-on-one going on. I said, ‘I think it’s probably a good idea we get the kids off the boat.’ ”

He talks about his partner’s exaggerated claims of sexual prowess, saying, “And I finally figured out, it was Dick’s sex math. So when he said 10 times, what he meant is like in and out five times. (Sarver thrusts.) That was 10 times for Dick.”

At one point during his speech Sarver could hear someone off to the side speaking on his telephone.

Sarver said, “These guys are working on a big deal over here, f---ing U.S. Filter idiots on the phone. This guy’s got a make-believe deal going on over here at f---ing three in the morning. You merging on a SPAC, or you lining up a hooker over there? What are you doing? It’s a goddamn memorial service. F---ing idiot, Jesus Christ. I’m gonna guess his receptionist has small t---.”

What did the NBA commissioner call Sarver’s behavior?

Indefensible?

Yeah, that.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NBA has no 'smoking gun' on Suns' Robert Sarver, but there IS a video