Suns interim governor says Robert Sarver looking for buyer who 'wants to keep' team in Arizona
NEW ORLEANS – Sam Garvin has no say so in the sale of the Phoenix Suns, but he knows what type of ownership Robert Sarver seeks.
“I think he really wants to find someone who loves Arizona, wants to keep (the Suns) in Arizona and is committed to the fans and is committed to the community. I think he’ll do a good job on the sale.”
Garvin, 58, has his own company, Garvin Promotion Group, or GPG, based out of Phoenix, has enjoyed his time as team vice chairman, but has zero interest in becoming a managing governor of the Suns.
“If I were to be part of the new group buying it, I would want to have that same role, or I wouldn’t be involved,” he said. “I can help add value there, make the team better, grow revenues, give the basketball people more money to continue to have sustained success and get more players. I would not want to be the head guy like Robert was.”
Garvin, a longtime minority partner in the team's ownership group, has been serving as interim team governor after the NBA suspended Sarver in September for one year from any activities involving both the Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and fined $10 million for ''workplace misconduct and organizational deficiencies'' found during an NBA investigation.
A team vice chairman, Garvin isn’t just sitting around with a tag.
He’s handling business.
“For super extraordinary items, I have the ability to consult with (Sarver) and get his opinion on it, but day-to-day stuff, regular trades, business decisions, all business and basketball matters, I’m the final say,” Garvin said.
Garvin spoke Wednesday morning with The Republic and discussed several topics such his reaction to the Sarver investigation findings, role in running the team, the way the Suns are playing and more. We started Part 1 of 2 talking about how he’s working to continually improve the culture of the franchise.
Q: What’s it been like being the interim team governor?
SG: “It’s been an honor, but it’s really been a challenge, too, because any time you come into something where there’s a lot of change going on, there’s a lot to wrap your arms around, but overall, it’s been, challenge, but it’s been a privilege really.”
Q: What’s been the most challenging?
SG: “For me, I think it’s been continuing to accelerate a culture change. In my opinion, we had a culture change underway at the Suns way before the suspension. One thing I’ve tried to do is support and accelerate that change and really connect with all of the Suns employees and make sure that they think it’s a safe, respectful, positive place to come and work. That’s been a challenge, but not an insurmountable challenge. So, it’s been actually interesting and fun. Got to meet a lot of people that I didn’t know very well before.”
Q: So these interactions are in person and over the phone?
SG: “Yes. Not only telling them, but I would like to think leading by example that we’re going to treat each other with respect. We’re going to treat each other with professionalism. Everybody’s view is welcomed. We may not be able to do what everyone’s view is, but everybody’s opinion is valued and we’re going to treat each other like professionals with respect and make it a safe and inviting and positive place to work. I think some of that was underway prior to the suspension in September, but I’d like to think that the culture is better today, 60 days later and I’d like to think that’ll be even better 60 days from now. That’s my goal.”
Q: What was your initial reaction to the Sarver investigation findings?
SG: “I was shocked. A lot of different emotions. I was shocked. I was disappointed.”
Q: Have you been in contact with Sarver?
SG: “I communicate with Robert regularly. The suspension bars him from being involved in any day-to-day contact with employees, coming on any NBA premises, anything like that, but there’s a mechanism allowable by the NBA where on ‘extraordinary items,’ if I need to, I can communicate with him. So we communicate regularly. I wouldn’t say it’s often, but regularly.”
Q: What’s the gist of the conversations been about?
SG: “Mostly ‘extraordinary items.’ For instance, if we wanted to do a massive trade that would be for three max contracts and bring on say $150 million in payroll beyond the $150 million we have? (Laughs) He’s still the majority shareholder. He owns 30% of the shares, and he’s managing the sale. So for super extraordinary items like that, I have the ability to consult with him and get his opinion on it, but day-to-day stuff, regular trades, business decisions, all business and basketball matters, I’m the final say. Just some super extraordinary items. So let’s suppose I wanted to move the team to Flagstaff. Well, I’d probably have to have a discussion about that. I just can’t up and move the team to Flagstaff. Just extraordinary items like that.”
Q: Rewind real quick. What have the employee conversations been like?
SG: “It was very interesting when talked to some of the basketball ops (operations) people under (president of basketball operations) James Jones. They were really good listeners about the way that I was going to lead and the way to organization was going to be managed. One of them just said, ‘Oh, just a stark contrast Mr. Garvin, just a stark contrast.’ They’ve been pretty open. We had the meeting (before the season opener) where (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver and I talked to all the employees and I thought that was excellent because they asked a lot of questions. They asked some really good questions. I thought they might be a little bit chilled to ask questions, but they didn’t. They came right out and asked Adam questions. They asked me questions. I think the reaction is they’ve been open and honest and there are a lot of them that had to no issues and I think found it a super place to work and there are some of them that did have issues right and that was detailed in the (Sarver investigation) report that the NBA released. They’ve been, I would say, respectful and open and understanding that we’re going to change even more. We’re going to continue to change. It’s a journey. We’re not there yet, but we’re going to get there.”
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Q: What insight can you give on the status of the team sale?
SG: “Sadly, not much because the arrangement that was worked out is Robert Sarver is exclusively in charge of the sale. Everything that has to do with the sale, he’s in charge of. I have no real hand or role in the sale. I know there was a lot of interest because before that was made public, a bunch of groups reached out and just said, ‘Hey, we’re interested,’ and I said, ‘Well, you’ve got to talk to Robert Sarver. He has everything to do with the sale and nothing to do with running or managing the Suns. He’s in charge of it and I think he’ll do a good job. I think he really wants to find someone who loves Arizona, wants to keep (the Suns) in Arizona and is committed to the fans and is committed to the community. So I think he’ll do a good job on the sale.”
Q: Are you the top minority owner?
SG: Depends on how you look at it. When you look at any company, there are one or two classes of stock in ways that it is governed. The most common way is there is common stock and they call it that, common stock. You want to go out in the stock market and buy Colgate or Palmolive or Kraft, you can do that. You can buy a share for $100 bucks or whatever. That’s common stock. In terms of common stock, I am not the largest minority owner. I’m the second largest minority. The way our partnership and company was set up, there’s a general partnership that kind of controls the entity. Robert and I are in the general partnership. So at the end of the day, when the sale happens, Robert will get the most proceeds and I’ll get the second largest amount of proceeds, but if you just looked at common stock owned today, Jahm Najafi and Andy Kohlberg are two of our owners who have like 10% and I think I’m at like 9%. I’m not the largest minority owner in common stock, but in term of overall proceeds, I am the largest minority owner.”
Q: What’s your level of interest in being the majority team owner?
SG: “Honestly, none. I would have none. Since we bought it in 2004, I was vice chairman for 18 years until Robert and Adam Silver asked me to perform this function. And my work is a lot on the business side. So if you come to a game and you look up and you see PayPal and Fry’s and Lexus, those are relationships that in my other business as I’m in promotion execution business. A lot of those relationships I was able to bring to the Suns in ’04 and they became sponsors or marketing partners. I’ve greatly enjoyed helping to add value like bringing people like Fry’s, Leslie’s Pool Supplies, Lexus as partners, Verizon, PayPal to the Suns. I really enjoyed that role and that’s the role if I were to be part of the new group buying it, I would want to have that same role, or I wouldn’t be involved. I can help add value there, make the team better, grow revenues, give the basketball people more money to continue to have sustained success and get more players. I would not want to be the head guy like Robert was.”
Follow Suns Insider Duane Rankin on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.