Mat Ishbia: Suns ‘will be one of best places to work’

Mat Ishbia said his first major project as owner of the PhoenixSuns will be to listen to employees and figure out what problemsthey’ve faced.

After that, he’ll start fixing.

The tenure of embattled Robert Sarver as owner of the NBA’s Sunsand WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury officially ended Tuesday, when Ishbia —the chairman, president and chief executive of United WholesaleMortgage, plus a member of Michigan State’s NCAA championship teamin 2000 — took over. He will be governor, while his brother, JustinIshbia, will be alternate governor.

Justin Ishbia will be the team’s second-largest shareholder,behind his brother. They acquired more than 50% of the franchise,which includes all of what was Sarver’s stake as well as someholdings of minority partners, and the sale valued the Suns andMercury at $4 billion.

“I’m going to spend a lot of time listening and learning, thenmake the adjustments to make this not only one of the bestorganizations in the NBA but also one of the best places to work,”Mat Ishbia told The Associated Press. “That’s a huge part of mysuccess here in Michigan and it will be a big part of our successnow in Phoenix. I don’t have enough information to know whatexactly it’s been like, but I will dig in and roll up my sleevesand figure it out over the next three, four, five months-plus.”

The 43-year-old Ishbia was announced as the owner-in-waiting ofthe Suns on Dec. 20, and the last hurdle before the purchase becameofficial was cleared Monday night when it was revealed that theNBA’s board of governors approved him as the next owner.

The transaction was completed Tuesday. Ishbia will hold a newsconference in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Sarver was suspended for one year by the NBA in mid-Septemberafter an investigation found he engaged in workplace misconductthat included racist speech and hostile behavior toward employees.About a week after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced thesuspension and $10 million fine — the most allowed by league rule –Sarver said he would start the process of finding a buyer.

Ishbia’s name had been linked to other potential sales of prosports teams in the past, including the NFL’s WashingtonCommanders. And the self-described basketball nut jumped quickly toacquire the Suns and Mercury.

“This is what I wanted the whole time,” Ishbia said. “My namegot linked to a lot of things. That doesn’t mean it was actuallynecessarily right. The Phoenix Suns, in my opinion, is one of theelite franchises in one of the elite cities in America. To have achance to be one of the owners of the Suns and Phoenix Mercury is adream come true.”

Ishbia’s company, UWM, employs about 7,000 people. It had over$226.5 billion in mortgage originations in 2021, which the companysays is a record for wholesale volume.

“We’re all about culture,” Ishbia said. “We’re all about people.We’re all about the word ‘team.’ It’s almost like a match made inheaven — the city, the location, the NBA, my love of basketball.And I can come in, take some of the really good things they’redoing but maybe make some changes from a culture perspective.”

There is one immediate order of business: The NBA trade deadlineis Thursday.

The Suns — who went to the NBA Finals in 2021, losing a 2-0 leadand falling to Milwaukee in six games, had the best regular-seasonrecord in the league last season — are in a muddled WesternConference playoff race this season.

Ishbia said he and team president of basketball operations JamesJones, who is also the general manager, have talked and will keeptalking while Jones gauges the market to see what moves, if any,are right for the Suns.

“We’ve got to make sure we put ourselves in a great position,”Ishbia said. “I think we have an amazing team and I think we’re ina great position right now. Will I be involved? Yes. Are we highlyactive? Yes. But at the same time, I think we have achampionship-contending team without doing anything over the nexttwo days.”

Ishbia played for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, and he got intothe 2000 title game against Florida at the end. He knew he was outof bounds when he picked up a loose ball in the final moments, butno referee blew the whistle. Sensing opportunity, Ishbia tried areverse layup at the buzzer; it missed, but he celebratedanyway.

He senses another opportunity now.

“For me, this is a lifelong dream,” he said.