Sources: Silver apologizes to Suns employees

In comments to Phoenix Suns employees earlier the team's season-opening triumph implicit the Dallas Mavericks connected Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver apologized aggregate times connected behalf of the league bureau for enduring years of workplace misconduct nether Suns bulk proprietor Robert Sarver, according to sources who were present.

"I'm incredibly empathetic to what galore of you person lived through," Silver said to a radical of hundreds of employees, including immoderate squad executives and the team's interim governor, Sam Garvin, who each gathered successful the little vessel of the team's arena hours earlier the game.

During a astir hourlong address, Silver, sitting connected a stool and holding a microphone, added, successful part, "To the grade that you consciousness fto down by the league, I apologize. I instrumentality work for that."

Silver was aboriginal asked astir whether helium oregon the league bureau was alert of issues successful the team's workplace nether Sarver, who led a radical to bargain the squad successful 2004. Silver stated helium was not.

"Did I perceive ever that Robert could beryllium hard to woody with? Sure," Silver told employees. "But that's precise antithetic than behaviour which is viewed arsenic discriminatory successful immoderate way."

On Sept. 13, Sarver was suspended 1 twelvemonth and fined $10 cardinal aft a 10-month NBA investigation, led by New York-based instrumentality steadfast Wachtell Lipton, recovered Sarver was progressive successful "instances of inequitable behaviour toward pistillate employees," including "sex-related comments" and inappropriate comments connected employees' appearances, and utilized the N-word astatine slightest 5 times "when recounting the statements of others."

Sarver, who besides owns the Phoenix Mercury, announced connected Sept. 21 helium would beryllium selling some franchises. In a Sept. 14 quality league the time aft the NBA announced the findings of its investigation, Silver said that the league had received nary calls to its confidential worker hotline and that nary ceremonial complaints had been filed.

Silver echoed those sentiments to employees Wednesday, noting that nary behaviour had been reported done immoderate of the league's authoritative channels, but helium reiterated his apology to employees.

"Obviously, it's a nonaccomplishment of an wide system, of a league of 30 teams," Silver said, adding that the league saw nary crushed earlier ESPN's Nov. 2021 story, which elaborate allegations of racism and misogyny during Sarver's 17 years arsenic owner, to measurement successful and behaviour an probe into the franchise.

Silver acknowledged to employees the challenges of having league oversight of each 30 teams, a concern akin, helium said, to nationalist rights vs. state's rights. Still, helium said astatine 1 constituent that helium did spot it arsenic the league's relation to yet person oversight implicit each 30 NBA teams, arsenic good arsenic each WNBA teams.

Silver was asked however the league could let teams to run with a measurement of state portion besides expecting them to clasp themselves to a definite standard. He said, successful part, that it's an evolving process but that it's important for anyone associated with the NBA to person a "safe workplace" with liable leaders and due outlets to study immoderate wrongdoing.

Silver said that helium felt the instrumentality steadfast that the squad utilized for the probe -- Wachtell Lipton -- "did the champion occupation that they could." And helium acknowledged that immoderate employees mightiness beryllium wondering wherefore definite allegations oregon stories they raised were not included successful the report. He reiterated that the lawyers followed a process and that they remained "truly independent."

Garvin, who has been a number proprietor since 2004, erstwhile Sarver led a radical to bargain the squad for a then-record $401 million, besides apologized to employees connected behalf of the team's ownership group. Garvin said, successful part, that "everyone deserves respect" and "everyone should beryllium treated professionally."

Silver was asked what measures the league would enactment successful spot for different teams truthful that different NBA squad employees wouldn't look akin issues to what those successful Phoenix person faced. Silver referenced caller processes, specified arsenic caller reporting systems, and regular meetings with the heads of quality resources for teams crossed the league, arsenic good arsenic making definite those individuals were appropriately trained.

Silver besides acknowledged that radical mightiness not consciousness comfy calling the NBA's confidential worker hotline and that determination needs to beryllium different measures successful place. One worker expressed "lingering frustration" with respect to immoderate of the team's archetypal nationalist statements defending Sarver and asked however employees could positively determination forward.

"You bash request to speech astir it," Silver said. "I deliberation it's healthy."

Silver admitted that determination are professionals who champion facilitate those types of conversations and tin assistance radical enactment done traumatic experiences. He besides acknowledged that determination is simply a level of "vulnerability" moving successful the league due to the fact that positions are considered highly desirable and that immoderate whitethorn tolerate much than they would successful different assemblage due to the fact that it's their lifelong imagination to enactment successful the NBA.

Still, portion acknowledging that helium didn't person immoderate "deep answers," Silver said it was important "just to truly perceive to people."