Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia did not take Stephen A. Smith’s recent comments lying down.
On Monday, the Suns announced that they were firing Mike Budenholzer after just one season as Phoenix’s head coach. Budenholzer became the third coach in three seasons to get the ax.
The news prompted Smith to appear on ESPN’s “First Take” with a scorching-hot take. The ESPN host claimed that the Suns’ recent dysfunction has Ishbia “on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner in the history of basketball.”
"Mat Ishbia needs to understand that right now, you are on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner in the history of basketball."
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 15, 2025
—@stephenasmith on Mat Ishbia, owner of the Phoenix Suns pic.twitter.com/oaCbeReo5L
During a press conference held on Thursday, Ishbia was asked to share his thoughts on Smith’s incendiary claim. Ishbia completely dismissed Smith’s take and even predicted that the ESPN personality would apologize sometime in the future.
“Stephen A. Smith, I don’t take much of what he says seriously,” said Ishbia. “I don’t think many people do, to be honest with you. … I don’t really think Stephen A. believes that. I think he’s doing his thing, he’s on the mic. I think he’ll apologize to me because it’s disrespectful to put my name aligned with anyone who was kicked out of the league or no longer part of it.”
Mat Ishbia said doesn't think people take Stephen A. Smith seriously when asked about him saying he's on the verge of becoming the worst owner in the history of basketball.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 17, 2025
Added that he thinks Smith will apologize for putting him in the same category as Donald Sterling. #Suns pic.twitter.com/tnablKsJcC
Ishbia’s three-year run with the Suns has been an utter disaster. The billionaire businessman pushed for Phoenix to make win-now moves over the last three seasons, acquiring Kevin Durant and later Bradley Beal.
Beal, whose no-trade clause became a huge talking point this season, has regressed significantly on the court, while Durant could end up on the trading block this offseason. The future has dimmed significantly for a Suns team that’s a few years removed from making the NBA Finals.
But despite all of that, there’s hardly an argument for Ishbia to be atop the list of worst owners in NBA history. Former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned from the NBA in 2014, has Ishbia beat by a significant margin.
Ishbia may not even be the worst owner in Suns franchise history, given the wild reports on Robert Sarver’s tenure with the team.
Smith has built a career off of his sensationalized takes, such as the one about Ishbia. While Ishbia is indeed worthy of criticism, calling him the “worst owner in basketball history” is a bit much.
