Stephen Curry, Draymond Green glad Robert Sarver selling Phoenix Suns after NBA investigation

Stephen Curry thought Robert Sarver might try to keep majority ownership of the Phoenix Suns longer, but is happy the franchise will have new ownership.

"The outcome was exactly what it should have been," the Warriors All-Star said during Golden State's media day the team showed Sunday on Zoom.

"Honestly, I thought with the punishment that was handed down, it would have dragged out a little longer; but I'm glad we got to a point where hopefully the team is up for sale sooner than later and can kind of move on knowing that's where it should be."

Sarver announced Wednesday in a statement he was "seeking buyers" for the Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury a week after the NBA released the results of a 10-month investigation that concluded there was ''workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies'' during his 18-year tenure with the NBA franchise.

"As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness," Sarver said in a statement Wednesday. "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 received a year suspension and fined $10 million as he used the N-word multiple times, made inappropriate comments toward female employees in the workplace and talked in a demeaning fashion.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a press conference later that week that he had conversations with NBA players about the Sarver situation.

Curry was one of them.

"I had conversations with Adam Silver directly and kind of got his point of view of what decisions," Curry said. "And, I guess, mechanisms he had to intervene and bring down a punishment that was worthy of the actions that we were all responding to and representing the league as a whole and protecting the integrity of the league and the standard that we set terms of from execs, ownership, all the way down to players. There should be a standard around what's tolerable and what's not."

Warriors All-Star Draymond Green, Lakers All-Star LeBron James and Suns All-Star Chris Paul took to social media to voice their displeasure with the findings of the investigation and punishment for Sarver.

"So for LeBron, CP, Draymond, everybody using their platforms to speak on it, even Adam picking up the phone and answering calls from the top players who have vested interests in protecting the league as well, all that stuff matters," Curry said. "And you want to have swift responses and reactions to stuff like that."

ESPN's Nov. 4 report detailing allegations of Sarver creating a "toxic" work environment.

Green's name became part of the narrative because former Suns head coach Earl Watson told ESPN Sarver asked him after a loss to the Warriors on Oct. 30, 2016 why Green was allowed to use the "N-word'' during a game. 

When Watson, who is Black and Hispanic, told Sarver, who is white, he can't use the racist word, Sarver responded by asking why he couldn't since Green did.

During the exchange, as reported by ESPN, Sarver used the term more than once.

Green reacted to the article with a smile and commentary.

"It's crazy," Green said during a press conference Nov. 5. "Crazy allegations. Very crazy allegations. I don't know. We'll see what happens, but pretty serious allegations. It's interesting. Very interesting."

Green later said that November day he hoped the investigation wouldn't be based on a double standard. 

"Just because there's a governor of a team, we're still all a part of this league so I just hope that the same standards that we have when it comes to players, that we have when it comes to everybody that's a part of this league,'' he said. "I don't know where the investigation starts, I don't know where it ends. I don't know who you talk to. That's really none of my business, but what I do hope is that there aren't any double standards in the league and the same thing that applies to us players, applies to everybody."

On Sunday, Green reiterated that point in explaining what he said on his podcast about the Sarver situation.

"When you look at some of the things that people have gotten in trouble over, I think that falls under the same boat," Green said. "We're all a part of this league and no one person is bigger than the league. If that goes for us as players, that goes across the board. We're still all a part of the league no matter what level you're at." 

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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