Phoenix Suns’ Owner Blames His Team’s Struggles On Millennial Culture

The major story around the Phoenix Suns this season–other than their general struggles–has been Markieff Morris. The team’s owner, Robert Sarver, thinks he knows where the issues originate: in modern culture.

Morris’ situation in Phoenix has been deteriorating since the club traded his twin brother Marcus during the summer.  Markieff has publicly asked to be traded since then. The duo are also involved in an aggravated assault case stemming from an reported incident last January.

Things came to a head last month, when Morris threw a towel at Suns’ coach Jeff Hornacek; he was suspended two games for the incident.

The man calling the shots, however, doesn’t think the issue comes down to personnel issues.

“My whole view of the millennial culture is that they have a tough time dealing with setbacks, and Markieff Morris is the perfect example,” Sarver told the Arizona Republic. “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,” Sarver said. “But the other thing is, I’m not a fan of social media. I tell my kids it’s like Fantasyland. The only thing people put online are good things that happen to them, or things they make up. And it creates unrealistic expectations.”

Morris, when asked about the comments, said that dealing with tough situations was nothing new to him. “I’m from Philly,” he said. “I’ve been through adversity my whole life. That’s what I’ve got to say about that.”