NBA owner says his team stinks because of 'millennial culture'

The youths: they’re ruining everything, up to and including the Phoenix Suns, according to, uh, the owner of the Phoenix Suns.

In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Robert Sarver, 55, railed against his team’s woes, soon after a blowout-loss that brought their record to 12-25. Why are the Suns so bad this year? If you answered “They are bad at basketball,” then you are incorrect. The right answer?

Young people, of course.

“I’m not sure it’s just the NBA,” Sarver said. “My whole view of the millennial culture is that they have a tough time dealing with setbacks, and Markieff Morris is the perfect example. He had a setback with his brother in the offseason and he can’t seem to recover from it.

“I’m not sure if it’s the technology or the instant gratification of being online. But the other thing is, I’m not a fan of social media. I tell my kids it’s like Fantasy Land. The only thing people put online are good things that happen to them, or things they make up. And it creates unrealistic expectations. We’ve had a number of setbacks this year that have taken their toll on us, and we haven’t been resilient. Therefore, it’s up to our entire organization to step up their game.”

Morris, 26, has been upset with the team since it traded his twin brother over the summer.

While the idea that there is a generation gap is not exactly a revolutionary idea, this has got to be the first time in a long time it’s been parroted as the reason for a team underperforming. Athletes have the reputation for being coddled, like millennials, but the Suns problems are myriad. And Markieff Morris being upset that his brother was traded has as much to do with business as it is a personal slight: Markieff accepted less money from Phoenix to ensure he and Marcus could play together in 2014. The Suns traded Marcus (and two other players) for essentially nothing in a gamble that failed. Giving away players is probably not a smart way to run a basketball team. Unlike “millennial culture,” that is an actual reason that your basketball team might not be doing so hot.

As the Washington Post points out, Sarver made these comments from Spain, where he is attempting to buy a soccer team to add to the basketball team he owns. Rich white guy culture!

CBS Sports has a detailed breakdown of what is really ailing the Phoenix Suns if you’re interested.

[H/T Washington Post]

David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: [email protected]