Rev. Al Sharpton called on the NBA to close its investigation into the Phoenix Suns and remove majority owner Robert Sarver. Sharpton said he might bring demonstrations to Phoenix if not.
The principal owner of the Phoenix Suns made racist and misogynist statements in a story that was published last November. The NBA said they were going to investigate it, and Sharpton said at the New York City headquarters of the National Action Network how long it would take.
I told the NBA that I wanted them to close the investigation or tell us the timetable by the convention.
The annual convention of the National Action Network will be held in New York City.
Sharpton said that they are not going to allow people to affect the culture of the NBA and the NFL and insult us and act like that. We are on the Phoenix Suns.
Mike Bass, a spokesman for the NBA, said the investigation is ongoing and will take time to complete.
Bass said that the NBA wouldn't take any action until the investigation was done.
The NBA began its investigation into the Suns and Sarver in early November 2021, hours after a story was published on the subject of racism and sexism in a sometimes hostile and toxic workplace in Phoenix.
Most of the allegations have been denied by Sarver.
More than 300 individuals, mostly current and former employees, have been interviewed by lawyers for New York-based Wachtell Lipton, which previously led ownership-centered investigations into the LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. The lawyers have access to a lot of documents, including internal e-mails and human resources records.
Employees have confirmed a range of published allegations while introducing others, and have provided the investigators with documents, specifically emails.
A group of civil rights activists sent a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA Board of Governors on March 11 calling for a boycott of the NBA.
The letter from the 10-person group, which announced itself as the American Sports Accountability Project, said that they were profoundly disturbed by the reports of racism, misogyny and abusive behavior allegedly committed by Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver.
Sharpton was part of a delegation that met with Silver and pushed for a quick resolution to the investigation into DonaldSterling, the former Clippers owner who was banned from the league for racist comments that emerged from a recorded conversation.
The American Sports Accountability Project launched a website and a social media campaign called #SackSarver.
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