The owner of Phoenix Suns, Mat Ishbia, is not satisfied with the ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.
Ishbia has clearly indicated that, although he does not take Smith's comments seriously to the fact that he is “about to be recognized as the worst owner” of all time in basketball, he thinks that apologies are presented in the near future.
“Stephen A. Smith, I don't take much from what he says seriously,” said Ishbia on Thursday at the team's press conference, via Arizona République. “I don't think many people do it, to be honest with you.”
Ishbia, however, challenged to be compared to the former owner of Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, and thinks that Smith will apologize for having connected the two.
“He does his thing, he is on the microphone, and I think he will apologize because I think he is disrespectful to put my name aligned with anyone who was expelled from the league or by being no longer part,” he said.
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These apologies occurred on Friday when Smith admitted that it was not wise to put Ishbia in the same category as Sterling.
Smith said he wanted to compare both strictly in terms of basketball. He did not intend to compare them as people.
Earlier this week, Smith participated in Ishbia on “First Take” and said he was one of the worst team owners in the NBA history with the way he had managed the Suns recently at the helm.
“Mat Ishbia must understand that at the moment, you are about to be recognized as the worst owner of the history of basketball”, Smith said. “It says a lot. It says a lot. Donald Sterling once had a NBA franchise.
Compare Ishbia to Sterling has never been a great argument. While the Suns have largely struggled since Ishbia took over, it is always better for miles than Sterling, who sold the Clippers of Los Angeles and received a life ban from the NBA after having made racist comments to his mistress on a recording, among others. The man of which Ishbia bought the Suns was also extremely problematic. Robert Sarver was faced with racism, misogyny and bad allegations of culture of the workplace before finally selling the team in Ishbia for $ 4 billion in 2023.
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Ishbia, for all the problems of the Suns, is not at this level.
But looking at how the Suns have occurred this season, it is easy to see where Smith takes. The Suns went 34-46 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020 despite the entry of the season with the three Great Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. They The head coach fired Mike Budenholzer alsoWho will put them in place with a fourth head coach in four seasons once they hired his replacement, and during the move is probably in motion after a late trade for him fell on the deadline a few months ago. Ishbia even admitted that the season was “embarrassing” and a “failure”.
But Smith's comments comparing him to the worst of the worst owners did not stay well with Ishbia.
“If he means that the first two and a half matt Ishbia bought the team, we did not win a championship, I think you could probably say that about almost all the owners. But yes, we had great expectations, but we did not win,” he said.
“We spent a lot of money and we did not earn. Yeah. Yeah. Be critical of me on that. But to say even this kind of thing, I think he will apologize. I think he was out of line, and I think he knows it. I don't think he really thinks it. ”
Despite Friday's apology, Smith has always been criticized at ISHBIA as a owner, so don't expect the last quarrel of the ESPN personality to go out so early.
