Disney boss Bob Iger was prevented from bidding on the Phoenix Suns because of a deep-seated grudge held by the NBA team’s disgraced former owner against the media tycoon, The Post has learned.
Robert Sarver, who was run out of the league after Disney-owned ESPN exposed Sarver’s history of workplace misconduct, refused to allow Iger to take part in the auction.
“No sales book, no Non-Disclosure Agreement, no conversation,” a source close to the situation said.
The ESPN story in November 2021 painted Sarver as a racist who also made inappropriate sexual remarks to his female employees.
The expose led to Sarver being suspended for a year and fined $10 million before the NBA pressured him to sell the team.
Iger was Disney’s chief executive at the time before retiring at the end of that year.
Sarver blamed Iger for his downfall and would not let him anywhere near the auction for the Suns, sources said.
On Thursday, Sarver confirmed to The Post that he locked out Iger from the bidding but denied it was because he held a grudge.
“I couldn’t afford to get in a situation where a sale took too much time to get done,” Sarver said.
Iger had to raise most of the money for his bid and did not have that kind of money, Sarver added.
“The process was led by investment bank Moelis and suitors were pre-screened so we only allowed those in who had multi-billion dollar liquidity positions,” Sarver said.
In November, The Ringer first reported Iger’s interest in the Suns.
A source close to the situation said: “Iger told his friends he thought he was going to buy the Suns. I was wondering how he was going to raise the money.”
Matt Ishbia, head of UMW Holdings, ended up landing the NBA franchise in February, paying a record $4 billion for a 57% stake in the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
This is the second time in recent months an embattled team owner reportedly froze out a media baron from an auction.
Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder shunned Jeff Bezos for months after the Bezos-owned Washington Post ran stories led to pressure being put on Snyder to sell the team, The Post reported exclusively on Feb. 24.
Sixers and Devils owner Josh Harris has a tentative deal instead to buy the Commanders after bidding an NFL franchise record $6 billion.