Lakers forward LeBron James is not happy at all with what he considers the lenient punishment the NBA handed Suns Owner Robert Sarver after finding him guilty of racist and misogynistic behavior.
And on Wednesday, he let everyone know about it.
James took to Twitter and let his more than 52 million followers know that he felt the NBA “got this wrong.”
“Read through the Sarver stories a few times now,” Jame wrote. “I gotta be honest…Our league definitely got this wrong.
“I don’t need to explain why,” he added. “Y’all read the stories and decide for yourself. I said it before and I’m gonna say it again, there is no place in this league for that kind of behavior.”
Sarver was found to have used the N-word, used inappropriate language toward female employees, and had inappropriate physical contact with male employees after a lengthy investigation by league officials. On Tuesday, the league handed Sarver a one-year suspension and $10 million fine for his behavior. In addition, the league claimed that Sarver’s use of the N-word was not the result of any racial animus.
Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver attends Game Two of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Footprint Center on October 13, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury defeated the Sky 91-86 in overtime. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
However, James finds this punishment unacceptable.
“I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership,” LeBron asserted. “But this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place. Don’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values and this aint it.”
Of course, LeBron and NBA are quite inconsistent about holding the “league up as an example” of their values. Despite demonstrations and proclamations claiming to stand for free speech and against violence by state actors, the NBA has numerous business dealings totaling billions of dollars with the world’s leading human rights abuser, China.