PHOENIX — Former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo says integrity must play a major role as the team eventually moves forward with new ownership as Robert Sarver attempts to sell the team. Speaking to ABC15 inside the Integrity Summit Wednesday he shared his thoughts on how they can do it.
“Whoever comes in, I would hope could adopt some of the things that we did a long time ago, and that’s really make the community proud to be associated with the franchise,” said Colangelo. “That means doing the right thing even when it’s hard.”
A yearlong investigation by the NBA released back in September identified major failures by the team's current owner Robert Sarver following allegations of racism and misogyny going unchecked. Originally, the NBA gave him a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine before Sarver announced his intentions to sell the team following public pressure.
“You need to really understand, you are stewards of the franchise, all of the fans feel like they have a piece of this whether they have a financial piece or not,” said Colangelo of the team's next owners. “It’s up to us to earn the respect and support of the community. On the court. Off the court. Being a good citizen. Putting money back into the community.”
He says that loyalty should not only be rewarded in competition but with a safe, honorable, and righteous workplace for every team employee. He says it starts at the top.
“People need to feel they’re being heard, that they’re comfortable that they’re part of a team, part of a family," said Colangelo. "You start with that kind of a setting and people feel much more freely to share.”
It's a culture he sees blossoming under General Manager James Jones and head coach Monty Williams. For the man who brought Arizona this magical team so many years ago, his final message for its next leaders is simple.
“It takes a lot less energy to be real, to do things the right way, than it is to do things the wrong way and have to cover up for some of the things you did,” said Colangelo.
The Integrity Summit is an annual event Co-Founded by Jerry Colangelo in 2011. It showcases real integrity stories from iconic leaders of business, government, non-profit, media, and education. The goal is to instill a set of values that can help all that attend become more personally and professionally successful. For more information, click here.
