Pressure mounts on Robert Sarver to sell Suns or resign

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Pressure mounts on suspended Suns owner Robert Sarver to sell team or resign

By Sean Keane | Last updated 9/16/22

The NBA suspended Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver this week and fined him $10 million for misdeeds, including racist language and sexually inappropriate behavior. But that may not be the end of his concerns.

Jahm Najafi, the Suns' second-largest shareholder, published an open letter to Suns fans demanding Sarver resign as the team's managing partner, saying, in part, "I cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege."

Jahm Najafi, the second largest Suns stakeholder, has publicly called for the resignation of Robert Sarver in an open letter to Suns fans. pic.twitter.com/z7dMzUyHSP
— Mike Vigil (@protectedpick) September 16, 2022

When the original story broke in 2021 about Sarver's behavior, Najafi released a statement saying he was "stunned and saddened." Notably, he was not among the 12 (of 18) minority owners of the Suns who signed a statement in support of Sarver, nor was his brother, Francis, also a minority Suns owner. Najafi says he has "no interest" in becoming managing partner. However, he is in a unique position to influence who the new managing partner would be, should Sarver resign.

The Suns' jersey sponsor, PayPal, has announced that it would not renew its sponsorship deal — it expires at the end of the season — if Sarver still has a role in the organization after his one-year suspension.

Statement from PayPal, a sponsor of the Phoenix Suns, reads, in part:

"In light of the findings of the NBA's investigation, we will not renew our sponsorship should Robert Sarver remain involved with the Suns organization, after serving his suspension."https://t.co/9iJHoWnUY0
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) September 16, 2022

PayPal is not only a jersey sponsor. It also facilitates cashless transactions throughout the Suns arena. The season-ticket program is called the PayPal SixthMan. It's not clear how much this individual deal is worth, but CNBC reports that jersey patch deals are worth more than $200 million annually to the NBA as a whole.

This could be the beginning of other Suns sponsors jumping ship as well. That could accomplish what NBA commissioner Adam Silver couldn't or wouldn't do in removing Sarver. While the Suns' other owners might tolerate bad behavior from Sarver, they likely won't tolerate losing millions of dollars.

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