PayPal to split with Phoenix Suns if Sarver remains owner

PayPal has threatened on Friday to cancel its sponsorship of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Phoenix Suns if the owner Robert Sarver remains affiliated with the organisation following his one-year suspension, according to CEO’s statement.

Sarver was suspended for one year and the NBA fined him $10 million after an investigation determined that he had engaged in misconduct, including using racial slurs, yelling at employees and treating female employees unfairly.

The $10 million fine is the highest allowable under the NBA by-laws, but the league has doled out more significant suspensions in the past. The former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the league for life after his racist comment surfaced.

PayPal’s sponsorship deal with the Suns had began in 2018 and includes the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and Spanish soccer team Real Club Deportivo Mallorca, all owned by Sarver, is set to expire after the 2022-23 season.