If you are Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver and you’re using all of the public relations resources at your disposal to defuse and deny an ESPN article portraying you as a wealthy, entitled, profane, misogynistic egomaniac, the last thing you’d want to surface is a video of you standing in front of a group of people and talking like a wealthy, entitled, profane, misogynistic egomaniac.
But that is what happened.
Sports Illustrated unearthed a video of Sarver waxing sexist, vulgar and obscene at a 2020 memorial “roast” for businessman and Suns minority owner Dick Heckmann.
The ESPN article painted an ugly portrait of Sarver as a powerful man – a bully, really – who’d created a work environment tainted by misogyny, toxicity, racism and more.
Sarver and some of his associates vehemently deny that.
He told The Arizona Republic, “It is just not who I am, and it is directly contrary to the values at the center of the Suns organization.”
On tape, Robert Sarver disputes himself
Then, there’s that video of Sarver speaking at his late friend and partner’s “roast.”
The Suns majority owner begins by talking about how, early in his ownership of the team, in addition to ticket sales and sponsorship revenue “my biggest concern was the Heckmann boys were f—ing their way through the cheerleading team.”
It goes downhill (if that’s possible) from there.
Sarver talks about a boat Heckmann owned and was parked “in Cabo,” saying, “The boat was a bordello. I mean, let’s just be honest about it.”
He mentions how he once he’d opened a door on the vessel to find a “two-on-one going on.”
At one point during his speech, Sarver is distracted by some people off to the side and says in their direction, “You merging on a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) or you lining up a hooker over there? What are you doing? It’s a goddamn memorial service. F—ing idiot, Jesus Christ. I’m gonna guess his receptionist has small (breasts).”
Only he used the 4-letter word beginning with T.
Think the NBA already knew?
Not a pretty picture.
Then again, even the things in the ESPN article that Sarver didn’t dispute painted a fairly unattractive picture.
The NBA, which is investigating the allegations made in the ESPN article, is aware of the video, and probably already knew the owner of the Suns may well be a wealthy, entitled, profane, misogynistic egomaniac.
Although, I’d guess the league would have preferred him not to act that way in front of cameras.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns owner Robert Sarver’s sexist, profane video exposes real Sarver