Suns owner: Markieff Morris example of problems with millennial culture

“My whole view of the millennial culture is that they have a tough time dealing with setbacks, and Markieff Morris is the perfect example,” Suns owner Robert Sarver said.

The Phoenix Suns have the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 12–25, which owner Robert Sarver believes could be a result of the millennial attitudes on the team, according to 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 off-season and he can’t seem to recover from it.”

Morris was fined $10,000 this off-season for publicly demanding a trade when his twin brother, Marcus Morris, was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He was suspended for two games in December for throwing a towel at head coach Jeff Hornacek after being pulled from the game. The Suns required Morris to renew his commitment to the team before granting his return from the suspension.

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“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), Brandon Knight (24), T.J. Warren (22) and Devin Booker (19) are among the youngest players on the team, though Sarver did not place blame for the team’s struggles solely on their shoulders.

“The blame is to be shared from the top down. Our leadership needs to communicate better. It needs to provide a better culture that provides for more accountability and more motivation. We have a lot of good, young players. They need to be playing hard, aggressively and on the same page whether we win or lose. That’s what I expect going forward.”