'Sterling 2.0': Former Suns, Clippers guard Jamal Crawford reacts to Robert Sarver investigation

Jamal Crawford declined to comment in ESPN's Nov. 4 article about Robert Sarver that led to the NBA launching an investigation on the Phoenix Suns team owner.

The retired NBA player still isn't talking, but his tweets after the results of the 10-month investigation are loud and clear.

Playing one season for the Suns in 2018-19, Crawford tweeted "Sterling 2.0" and "seen this movie before" in referencing to Donald Sterling, who received a lifetime ban back in 2014 when he was team owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.

MORE: NBA suspends Robert Sarver for one year, fines him $10 million 

Crawford and current Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul were with the Clippers when Sterling complained to his then girlfriend, V. Stiviano, about posting pictures on Instagram with Blacks and said he didn't want her bringing Blacks to Clippers games.

V. Stiviano taped the conversation.

Once that was revealed, NBA commissioner Adam Silver quickly banned Sterling from the NBA for life and fined him $2.5 million.

While no audio or video proof surfaced of Sarver displaying racial or misogynistic acts in the Suns workplace or that of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the investigation concluded the owner of both teams used the N-word and inappropriate comments towards women.

MORE: Somers: After damning report, why is Sarver still owner of Suns, Mercury?

Sarver was fined $10 million, the maximum allowed under the NBA constitution and by-laws, suspended a year, but remains the team owner.

Back in November, Sarver took offense to being compared to Sterling

"It’s hard to even dignify those comparisons with a response," said the 60-year-old Sarver in an interview with The Republic.

"There is no comparison at all. I have a 40-year-long track record of advocating for inclusion in hiring and promoting minorities and women, and I have devoted my time and resources to fighting for equality and supporting underserved communities. I’m proud of the Suns organization’s record on these issues. Up until this ESPN story, there has never been any claim or mention of me being racist or sexist. It’s just not who I am. My long-time business partners, co-workers, friends, and family will tell you the same."

In ESPN's story by Baxter Holmes about Sarver, Crawford was mentioned being in a training room when Sarver talked "X's and O's" with then rookie guard Elie Okobo.

"He actually got up off the table and walked out of the room and said, 'I can't f---ing listen to this s---. I gotta get out of here,'" a second former staffer said.

Holmes wrote that "the former longtime staffer in the room confirmed the scene to ESPN" and that Crawford declined to comment on the incident.

On Tuesday, The Republic reached out to Crawford, who hasn't responded, but he's letting his tweets do the talking.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Sterling 2.0': Jamal Crawford reacts to Robert Sarver investigation