Robert Sarver says he is selling the NBA's Phoenix Suns and WNBA's Mercury because of the 'current unforgiving climate'

• Robert Sarver announced he is planning to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury following a year-long suspension and $10 million fine for workplace misconduct.
• Sarver said he is selling because of the "current unforgiving climate."
• Many in the NBA and sports world criticized the league's punishment of Sarver as being too light.

Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury owner Robert Sarver said on Wednesday that he plans to sell the NBA and WNBA teams as a result of the "current unforgiving climate."

The bombshell announcement comes after the NBA fined and suspended Sarver, following an independent investigation that found he used the "N-word" at least five times during his tenure with the teams and made repeated "sex-related" comments to female employees.

"Words that I deeply regret now overshadow nearly two decades of building organizations that brought people together – and strengthened the Phoenix area – through the unifying power of professional men's and women's basketball," Sarver said in a statement on Wednesday. 

He added, "As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

"But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury," Sarver said. 

The $10 million fine levied against Sarver is the maximum allowed by the NBA.

However, there have been several vocal critics of the NBA's punishment.

Lakers superstar LeBron James and Chris Paul, who is the Suns' point guard, both took to social media to say that the NBA's punishment fell short. James wrote that there is "no place" for Sarver in the league.

On Tuesday, Draymond Green said on his podcast that NBA owners should hold a vote to terminate Sarver's ownership.

"It's a little baffling to me that we'll walk into the arena next year, the Phoenix Suns will walk into the arena next year, he'll sit on the sideline and we'll just continue on playing," Green said. He added that any other person in the league would have faced a harsher punishment for behaving the way Sarver did.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the investigation, Suns vice chairman and minority owner Jahm Najafi, called for Sarver's resignation in a statement.

"The fact that Robert Sarver 'owns' the team does not give him a license to treat others differently than any other leader," Najafi wrote.

He added: "I cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege. Therefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver."

Last week, PayPal, the Suns' jersey sponsor, announced they wouldn't continue their partnership with the team if Sarver returned as the owner.

Many have compared the situation to former LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was recorded making racist remarks about Black people to his girlfriend. The NBA banned Sterling for life and a short time later, the Clippers were sold.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the comparison during a press conference following the league's announcement of Sarver's punishment. Silver noted that he cannot unilaterally take away a team from an owner.

"I don't have the right to take away his team," Silver said. "I don't want to rest on that legal point because, of course, there could be a process to take away someone's team in this league. It's very involved, and I ultimately made the decision that [Sarver's behavior] didn't rise to that level."

Silver added: "It's beyond the pale in every possible way to use language and behave that way, but that it was wholly of a different kind than what we saw in that [Sterling] case."

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that many view the Suns as a desirable commodity.