What Next: Does the NBA Have a Bully Problem?

Slate News

Slate Podcasts

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.6 • 6K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2022

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Last week, Robert Sarver, the owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, announced he would be selling both teams. The decision came after ESPN revealed nearly two decades of harassing behavior by Sarver, and after the NBA slapped him with a one-year suspension and $10 million fine. How was Sarver’s bullying able to go unchecked for so long? Does his departure signal a positive step forward for professional U.S. basketball, or a continuation of the status quo? Guest: Amira Rose Davis, assistant professor of Black studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and co-host of the feminist sports podcast, Burn It All Down. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Soar into a new age of adventure with World of Warcraft Dragonflight.
0:06.7	The dragons of Azeroth have returned to the Dragon Isles, and it's up to you to help
0:11.0	them defend their home.
0:12.7	Discover four new sprawling zones, harness the powers of the Drakthere Evoker, an all-new
0:18.6	race and class combo, and master the skies through the art of dragonwriting.
0:23.8	Available November 28th on PC and Mac, learn more at worldofwarcraft.com.
0:37.0	I have in my hands a 36-page report.
0:41.0	It's written by a law firm, Wachtel, Lipden, Rosen, and Katz, and its dated September
0:46.6	13th of this year.
0:49.3	This report is serious, it details allegations of racism and sexism inside the NBA.
0:55.4	But as serious as this report is, it's almost impossible to read it and not chuckle to yourself.
1:02.0	Just a little.
1:04.9	Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns, and the Phoenix Mercury, he is the target
1:10.2	of this investigation.
1:12.2	And reading about the culture he created inside the NBA, Sarver comes off like Michael Scott
1:18.8	in the office, only turned up to 11.
1:22.2	He's malicious, he's petty, and he thinks he's the best boss in the world.
1:29.4	It would be laughable if it wasn't real and harmful.
1:31.6	It's one of those points where you do laugh at it because you're like this is ridiculous.
1:39.9	Amira Rose Davis teaches at UT Austin, and she hosts the Burn It Down podcast, which
1:44.9	is great, and all about sports.
1:47.6	Here are some of the stories in this report that stood out to her.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.