Suspended Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver is beginning the process of selling both franchises, he announced Wednesday.
“I don’t want to distract from these two teams and the great people who work so hard to bring the joy and excitement of basketball to fans around the world,” Sarver said.
He added: “This is the best course of action for everyone.”
On September 13, the NBA handed Sarver a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine, the maximum allowed, for “on-the-job misconduct and organizational deficiencies.”
The Suns point guard Chris Paul and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James are among the prominent figures who have criticized the NBA’s ruling for being too lenient. On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors advance Draymond Green urged the NBA Board of Governors to vote remove from the position of head.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league did not impose more severe sanctions because the law firm that investigated Sarver determined that his use of the slur “was not motivated by racial animus.”
Sarver has owned the Suns and Mercury since 2004.