Random Raged Suns fan on Robert Sarver
Robert Sarver (born 1961 in Tucson, Arizona) is the current majority owner of the Phoenix Suns. He bought the NBA franchise from Jerry Colangelo in the spring of 2004.
His father was Jack Sarver, a prominent Tucson businessman, banker and hotel developer (the elder Sarver built the Aztec Inn, the Plaza International Hotel (now a Four Points by Sheraton) at Speedway and Campbell in Tucson in the early 1970s[1], built and operated the Tucson area Howard Johnson's locations and headed a local savings and loan). Jack Sarver died of a heart attack in 1979; Robert Sarver would eventually donate to his alma mater, the University of Arizona, funds to its heart research center, which in 1998 was renamed the Sarver Heart Center in honor of his father.[2]
After graduating from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1982, Robert Sarver founded the National Bank of Arizona (then the National Bank of Tucson) at age 23 in 1984. He sold it to Zions Bancorporation in 1994. Prior to the sale, National Bank of Arizona had become the largest independent bank in the state. In 1995 he acquired Grossmont Bank, one of San Diego's largest community banks.
A lifelong sports fan, Sarver’s quest to purchase an NBA team began with a conversation with University of Arizona basketball coach Lute Olson. Olson referred Sarver to Steve Kerr, a former player at Arizona and a 15-year NBA veteran, to assist him in buying an NBA franchise. Within a short period from the time of purchase, $arver began meddling in team affairs, which has thus far been measured in Steinbrenner-esque proportions.
Sarver first began his alienation of Planet Orange's fan base by requiring that anyone interested in Suns season tickets also purchase season tickets to the WNBA Phoenix Mercury and also season tickets to the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL (Arena Football League). This was perhaps the first sign of what was to come with $arver's penny-wise but pound-foolish ways.
Sarver then began the systematic dismantling of this once-proud franchise first by refusing to pay core players like Joe Johnson and dumping promising youngsters Eddie House and James Jones and savvy veterans Jim Jackson and Tim Thomas. Brought in to shore up the bench instead were such memorable stalwarts like Marcus Banks, Pat Burke, Sean Marks, Brian Skinner, Gordon Giricek, and Lou Amundson (the sum collective talents of which the aforementioned could be most appropriately described as: they would not be Sixth Man of the Year candidates even if they were playing against Mortie Seinfeld, Izzy Mandelbaum, and the rest of the Del Boca Vista All-Stars). He then began peddling multiple draft picks for cash and thereby robbing the team of valuable depth--picks that later became Luol Deng, Rajon Rondo, Rudy Fernandez, and Sergio Rodriguez, and two-time NBA dunk contest champion Nate Robinson. Additionally, $arver botched the front office by running off respected G.M. Bryan Colangelo and former owner Jerry Colangelo (who was still serving as an advisor to Sarver), and hiring his stooge Steve Kerr.
Despite having absolutely no management experience prior to his hire, Kerr was handed the G.M. job by Sarver. Apparently that diploma from the "Matt Millen School of General Managing" (by cutting his teeth in the hard-scrabble playground of TNT color analyst and column writer for Yahoo! Sports) adequately prepared Kerr for the job. Kerr promptly became the front-man for $arver's penny-pinching ways and revealed his management acumen by dumping Kurt Thomas (and his $8 million salary) along with two first round draft picks (NOT LOTTERY-PROTECTED) to the Seattle Sonics for a second round pick and cash! Seattle's G.M. promptly traded Thomas to the Spurs, the Suns long-time nemesis in the playoffs (many will remember that Thomas was originally brought to Phoenix to give them an inside presence and match up with Spurs big man Tim Duncan). Kerr continued his bumbling ineptitude, when, at the trade deadline 2008 he traded Shawn "The Matrix" Marion to Miami for the plodding, slow-footed shell-of-his-former-self, Shaquille O'Neal. Draft night in the Suns "war room" with Sarver and Kerr "wheelin and dealin" throwing away players and draft picks is reminiscent of the scene from the movie "Dumb and Dumber" when Harry and Lloyd arrive at the hotel in Aspen, crawl out of the red Lamborghini, and hand out $100 bills to anybody and everybody.
The turbulent season finally culminated in an ugly divorce with beloved Coach Mike D'Antoni, architect of the Suns "Seven Seconds or Less" style of play. D'Antoni, whom was presumably tired of being the scapegoat for the $arver/Kerr tandem's bumbling moves and $arver's boorish courtside behavior, bolted for the league-worst New York Knicks after several well-publicized spats with Kerr.
D'Antoni then served as an assistant coach on the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic Mens Basketball Team at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Ironically, the "Redeem Team" roster was composed of players recruited primarily by Jerry Colangelo, whom after his unceremonious dismissal from the Suns, went on to become president of USA Basketball (the governing body which presides over the Olympic program and roster).
Ever the astute evaluator of talent, Kerr's 2009 draft was quite forgettable in that it produced Stanford-softie Robin Lopez, commonly mistaken for Side Show Bob of "The Simpsons" fame, and Goran Dragic, the European sharpshooter who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.
Not satisfied with their series of bungled moves, the dynamic duo of Sarver and Kerr then hired Terry Porter as head coach of the Suns during this past off-season. The interview process was considered a sham by Suns fans everywhere, as Porter was the only candidate brought in that had any head coaching experience and had previous ties to Kerr from their time together as players with the San Antonio Spurs. Players did not buy into Porter's style of coaching/play, and there was widespread grumbling by veteran players as early as training camp. Kerr then continued his history of chasing one bad move with another, trading top defender Raja Bell and disappointing forward Boris Diaw to the Charlotte Bobcats for high-scoring/no defense Jason Richardson. This despite preaching to fans that defense would be the area of focus for the 2008-09 season. Porter was made the scapegoat for $arver's and Kerr's transgressions, and was dumped at the All-Star break--thereby staining the All-Star game weekend/festivities (which was held in Phoenix that year). In his half-season in Phoenix, Richardson has already been arrested twice; once for DUI and the second time for reckless driving (while allegedly driving 90 MPH in a 35 MPH zone with an unrestrained 3-yr old child in the backseat). At the time of this writing, Kerr is actively "listening to offers" for the only young core player in their fold worth keeping (Amar'e Stoudamire).
$arver's short and less-than-stellar ownership tenure leaves many Suns fans wondering whether he is the second-coming of Donald Sterling (the boob who owns the Los Angeles Clippers) or Ted Stepien (who drove the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of insolvency in three short seasons 1980-82). Kerr's amateurish bumbling side show circus leaves many wondering what is coming next--perhaps Steve Nash to the Raptors for their locker-room washing machine/dryer and a pile of used jock straps; or Amar'e Stoudamire to the Chicago Bulls for a case of Icy Hot, JJ's old apartment in Cabrini-Green (sorry, Aunt Wilona not included), and the ghost of Artis Gilmore's afro. It seems that only when Bobby/Stevie lure Lute Olson out of retirement will the circle of demolition be complete.
But look on the bright side Phoenix fans, at least Kerr hasn't pulled the "Garney Henley" and drafted somebody who died 6 months ago.
$arver sits on the Board of Trustees of the $arver Heart Center, which he helped build in memory of his late father, who was among the first in an experimental group to undergo bypass surgery. The center now houses over 40 physicians and researchers dedicated to fighting heart disease.
$arver has a 27 handicap in golf[citation needed], plays tennis and volleyball, and enjoys going to California in his spare time.
During his first date with his eventual wife, Penny Sanders, he invited her to watch the NCAA Basketball Tournament in his casita.
Most Phoenix Suns fans wish he had stayed there and never entered our lives.
He and his wife, a Kansas City, Missouri native, have three boys: Max, Jake and Zach.
$arver is a 1979 graduate of Sabino High School in Tucson.
$arver currently lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sarver