Investigators concluded that Sarver had “repeated the n-word” at least five times “when recounting the statements of others,” corroborating allegations made last year by former Suns Coach Earl Watson.
The report also stated that Sarver had “made many sex-related comments in the workplace” and “made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women.”
However, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stopped short of issuing a lifetime ban to Sarver, a punishment that he doled out to former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was caught on tape making racist comments.
In a statement, Silver said that the investigation’s findings were “troubling and disappointing,” and that Sarver’s punishment was “the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context” throughout his 18-year ownership tenure.
This is a developing story and will be updated.