Suns owner Robert Sarver took some of the blame for his team’s problems.
Another culprit? Millennials.
Sarver, via Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic:
“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.”
Sarver pushed hard for the 2011 NBA lockout because he wasn’t making as much money as he wanted. He complained to the league about the the Suns’ shortened schedule that year, because Phoenix didn’t host certain popular teams. He flapped his arms like chicken wings at the Spurs because they rested Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Sarver sanctimoniously apologized to Phoenix fans because San Antonio again rested its stars against the Suns – for a preseason game.
But please tell me more about how millennials can’t handle setbacks.