NBA punishes Phoenix Suns owner Robert Thurber

The NBA announced this Tuesday that Robert Thurberthe owner of phoenix suns – And so have WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and Spain’s RCD Mallorca – who have misbehaved during their more than 18 years at the helm of their organizations. The league decided to suspend the president for a year after commissioning an independent investigation that reviewed more than 80,000 documents and conducted 320 interviews with current and former franchise workers. In addition, we will impose the maximum fine permissible according to the rules of the competition. $10 million.

scandal uncovered by ESPN In November 2021, he revealed the despicable work culture that Thurber has imprinted on one of the league’s most recent successful franchises.Executive “Behaved in a way that clearly violates the standards of the work environment.” describes the NBA through an extensive three-page statement containing details of the investigation. Among the most serious conclusions were the use of racist language, being used without regard, numerous inappropriate sexual comments directed at several employees, and There is even excessive physical contact with

Key Findings of the Investigation Against Robert Thurber

1

At least five times during his tenure with the Sands/Mercury organization, Thurber repeated the “N word” (derogatory black) when speaking of others.

2

Mr. Sarver behaved unfairly towards female employees, made many sexually related remarks in the workplace, made inappropriate comments about the appearance of female employees and other women, and harassed male employees. have engaged in inappropriate physical behavior on several occasions.

3

Thurber devoted himself to treating employees in humiliating and harsh ways, including yelling and cursing at them.

The league goes so far as to define some of the owner’s actions as: bullying, But he also said that the server He wasn’t the only Suns member to act inappropriately on several occasionsMost of the employees involved in the misconduct no longer work for the franchise, and the competition cited inefficiencies in its human resources department as one of the sources of behind-the-scenes chaos.

Steps taken by the NBA after revealing the results of its investigation include, beyond economic sanctions and a one-year suspension of Server’s relationship with the franchise, a structural restructuring of the Suns and an obligation for its owners to complete the course. It’s about respect and proper behavior in the workplace. “The results of the investigation are worrying and disappointing.” Adam Silver shared in a statement. “The NBA community will use this opportunity to think about the importance of this game to people From all over the world and the values ​​of equality, respect and inclusion it aspires to express.

The 10 million fine applies to organizations that combat racism and gender issues both inside and outside the US workplace.Full research report you can consult here.