ESPN's Jalen Rose made a 'mistake' in saying Robert Sarver called Deandre Ayton racial slur

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith spoke on Jalen Rose's behalf about someone that has been bubbling underneath the surface with the Robert Sarver's allegations of racism and misogyny the NBA is investigating.

In suggesting that having Sarver as the face of the franchise will impact how the Suns play, Rose said during ESPN's NBA Countdown last Friday the team owner called Deandre Ayton "a lazy N-word."

Smith took the opportunity Thursday to clarify Rose's comments.

"Jalen Rose made a comment that when it's time to pay Deandre Ayton, and you're calling him a lazy N-word, what's going to now happen is it's going to affect your product on the floor," Smith said.

Saying Rose is "out of the country this week," Smith continued by saying Rose made "a mistake" in his comments.

"(Rose) wants us to make clear that he did not mean to suggest that Sarver actually spoke those words," Smith said. "And to be clear, ESPN has never reported that Sarver used those words to describe Deandre Ayton. Jalen used those words to try to express his personal opinion that the way Sarver handled Ayton's contract situation was demeaning to a Black player and would be perceived that way by other Black players."

Smith concluded by saying, "Jalen recognizes it was a mistake and we apologize for the miscommunication."

Ayton has missed Phoenix's last three games and four of the team's last five with a lower right leg contusion suffered in an Oct. 30 win over Cleveland. The Suns (7-3) have won six straight games going into Friday's matchup at Memphis (6-5).

Last week on ESPN's NBA Countdown, Rose, a former NBA player who is now an analyst for the network, was suggesting that having Sarver as the face of the franchise would impact how the Suns played.

Rose spent his final season with Phoenix in 2006-07 with Sarver in his early years as team owner. Playing just 29 games for the Suns, Rose averaged a career-low 3.7 points in 8.5 minutes, also a career low.

Sarver bought the team in 2004.

At a roundtable last week with Michael Wilbon, host Mike Greenberg and Smith, Rose said Sarver called Draymond Green the "N-word" before saying Sarver called Ayton the racist word.

Last week's ESPN report starts with former Suns head coach Earl Watson recalling an argument between himself and Sarver over Warriors forward Draymond Green using the N-word in an Oct. 30, 2016 game Phoenix lost to Golden State.

"You know, why does Draymond Green get to run up the court and say (N-word)," Sarver, who is white, allegedly said, repeating the N-word several times in a row, according to the ESPN story.

"You can't say that," Watson, who is Black and Hispanic, told Sarver.

"Why?" Sarver replied. "Draymond Green says (N-word)."

"You can't f---ing say that," Watson said again, according to the ESPN report.

In the ESPN story, Sarver, through his legal team, not only denies using the N-word, but denies this conversation took place with Watson. He instead recalled encouraging an unnamed Suns player, who drew a technical for saying the N-word, to appeal the technical foul because Green used the word in the game.

The NBA ended up rescinding the technical foul, ESPN reported.

Then Rose said Sarver called Ayton a "lazy N-word" when referencing to how the Suns' starting center's contract situation unfolded.

Ayton wanted a five-year max for $172 million, but he and Suns weren't able to come to an agreement on any type of extension, thus putting the top overall pick in the 2018 draft on track to becoming a restricted free agent in 2022.

The one-and-done out of Arizona originally signed a four-year, $40.3-million deal as a rookie. Sarver was born and raised in Tucson and graduated from Arizona.

Ayton could also sign the one-year qualifying offer of $16.4 million, which will be the largest in NBA history, and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023.

While Smith, Wilbon and Greenberg didn't say anything in response to Rose's words during last week's show, ESPN hasn't reported that Sarver called Ayton the N-word.

Ayton is referenced in the ESPN story as former Suns assistant Corliss Williamson said Sarver slammed a stat sheet on the table in front of him after Ayton didn't record a block or foul in a game his rookie year.

In a 122-105 home loss Dec. 4, 2018 to Sacramento, Ayton posted 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal – no blocks and no personal fouls in 21 minutes.

The 6-11 center also had zero blocks and zero personal fouls in 32 minutes of play in an 118-102 home loss Dec. 28, 2018 to Oklahoma City. Ayton scored 16 points, grabbed nine boards and had three steals in the game.

"In all my years, that's the first time I've ever seen an owner come in there and act like that with the coaching staff," Williamson told ESPN.

The other Ayton reference in the ESPN story was Sarver questioning why coaches weren't working with Ayton on 3-point shooting during his rookie year.

Ayton attempted just four shots from deep as a rookie, missing them all. He made the 2018-19 NBA all-rookie first team as Ayton averaged 16.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 2.3 fouls in his first NBA season.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jalen Rose made a 'mistake' in saying Robert Sarver called Deandre Ayton 'a lazy N-word'