The List Of Billionaires Gunning To Buy The Phoenix Suns Include Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, And Laurene Powell Jobs
Source - Former Disney CEO Bob Iger, Amazon founder and ex-CEO Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder and past CEO Larry Ellison and Washington Wizards minority governor Laurene Powell Jobs (the widow of Apple co-founder and ex-CEO Steve Jobs) are expected to be interested in buying the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that news Wednesday, the same day that Suns and Mercury owner Robert Sarver announced that he was beginning the process to sell both franchises.
You know what a billionaire does when they're bored? They buy a sports team and I, for one, am all for it. Think about how cool that would be to play for a guy who's net worth is more than 140 out of the world's 195 countries. You know he'd want to be involved too. It'd be like his own personal revenge of the nerds. The same guys who stuffed him in lockers in high school are now on his payroll. He'd be yucking it up at practice, sitting court-side, going out to dinner with the boys - anything to feel cool. Granted it would be frustrating at times. Picture this - you're a young player trying to secure a contract. You've done everything you in your power to get your game where it needs to be only to find out the front office wants to nickel and dime you over a million bucks. Then you go home and turn on the news only to watch your boss unsuccessfully launch another $5.5 billion rocket in space for no reason whatsoever. Could that money have gone in your pocket? Sure, but what are you going to do. I guess that's the price you pay for having an outspoken billionaire as your owner rather than a secretive one. Regardless, here's why the team is for sale in the first place...
Sarver's announcement comes after the NBA suspended him for one year and fined him $10 million following an investigation that concluded that he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards." That behavior included the use of racial slurs as well as severe mistreatment of female employees.
The investigation followed a Nov. 2021 report from ESPN's Baxter Holmes that included allegations of racism and misogyny on Sarver's part since he bought the Suns and Mercury in 2004.
The Suns are currently worth around $1.8 billion which is pocket change for any of the folks listed above. They also rank eighteenth in terms of value amongst the thirty NBA franchise. The Knicks are somehow number one at $5.8 billion despite having been dog shit for the past thirty years, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, whether or not Bezos, Ellison, or Jobs buys the teams has to be seen. Time will tell. Now here's a Suns highlight reel for you to enjoy. Have a lovely Friday.
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