Clarivoyant Bill has done it once again.
Some old comments made by Bill Simmons of The Ringer in September went viral this week amid the news that the Phoenix Suns are about to be sold to mortgage lender Mat Ishbia. The purchase price is reported to be in the $4 billion range, which would be a record for the sale of an NBA team.
During an episode of his podcast on Sept. 22, Simmons correctly called both the price range the Suns would eventually be sold for as well as the buyer.
“This evaluation is going to go way higher than people think,” Simmons said at the time. “Remember, I told you this with the [sale of the LA] Clippers eight years ago, and I’m telling you now. The Suns are going to be evaluated over $4 billion. Mark my words. I am telling you. Throw it in my face if I’m wrong. I’m not gonna be wrong.
“It’s way more likely it’s just one person who is trying to buy out [Robert] Sarver’s stake who just has the money and can just write the check,” said Simmons later in the segment. “I’ll give you an example. There’s somebody, his name is Matt Ishbia … He’s a rich guy. He made all this money, he’s based in Michigan, he’s a mortage lender, and he’s got a lot of money … That’s somebody that could just write a check for the Suns.”
Ishbia, though he has a strong basketball background on top of his wealth, was on virtually nobody else’s radar as a potential buyer for the Suns. Most of the earlier reporting had focused on some bigger billionaire candidates.
While Simmons is a bit of a meme these days, he is very well-connected in NBA circles and continues to have excellent information. Simmons also has a strong history of knocking his predictions out of the park.
H/T NBA Reddit
