Lawyers Will Talk To Suns' Sarver For NBA Investigation: Report

PHOENIX, AZ —Phoenix Suns majority owner Robert Sarver will soon be meeting with the lawyers who are leading the NBA's investigation into Sarver's workplace conduct, ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported Friday.

According to the report, New York-based Wachtell Lipton is preparing to speak to Sarver as part of the investigation, which was launched late last year after ESPN published a story detailing allegations of racism and misogyny in a sometimes hostile workplace during Sarver's time in charge of the team.

Sarver, who made his fortune in banking and real estate, led a group that purchased the Suns in 2004.

According to ESPN, more than 300 people have been interviewed as part of the investigation and some have confirmed several of the previously published allegations, while introducing others. Those interviewed also have provided investigators with documents, specifically emails.

The Suns also have granted access to internal emails and human resources records, according to ESPN.

The initial ESPN story, published last Nov. 4, included interviews with 70 current and former employees.

In that story, Holmes wrote that some former employees told ESPN that Sarver used racially insensitive language repeatedly in the office, and they recounted conduct they felt was inappropriate and misogynistic, including Sarver once passing around a picture of his wife in a bikini to employees and speaking about times his wife performed oral sex on him.

Sarver refuted the claims, along with Jason Rowley, president and CEO of the Suns, and general manager James Jones, ESPN reported.

"I continue to be shocked by the false reporting from Baxter Holmes," Sarver said in a statement. "...Mr. Holmes completely disregarded the truth here."

He added that, "there is so much that is inaccurate and misleading in this story," and said that he never used a specific racial slur mentioned in the article.

In the statement, Sarver said that he welcomed an investigation from the NBA as possibly the only way to, "clear my name and reputation."

ESPN said it reached out to the Suns and the NBA after learning Sarver would be speaking to the Wachtell Lipton lawyers, but neither the team nor league offered any comment.

According to ESPN, there is no clear timeline for the investigation, and the lawyers have explained to the people they have interviewed that they are in the "fact-finding" stage.

Wachtell Lipton previously led ownership-centered investigations into the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks.