In criticizing Phoenix Suns’ Mat Ishbia as potentially the worst owner in NBA history, Stephen A. Smith seems to have overlooked his predecessor. On Tuesday morning’s episode of ESPN’s First Take, Smith responded to the Suns firing Mike Budenholzer after just one season into his five-year contract. He attributed two percent of the blame to Kevin Durant while allocating the majority to Ishbia.
“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. That’s saying a lot. Donald Sterling once owned an NBA franchise.” – Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/ulZQa9Zv8e
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2025
“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,” Smith asserted. “That’s saying a lot. Donald Sterling once owned an NBA franchise. James Dolan was on that trajectory until he recently hired Leon Rose. That’s where you are headed right now—arguably the worst owner in basketball history.” Smith justified his remarks by highlighting that Ishbia took over a team that was coming off an NBA Finals appearance and has since fired three head coaches in three years. The Suns have also dispensed with draft picks as if they’re singles at a strip club, all while missing the playoffs despite holding the highest payroll in the NBA.
While Smith’s criticisms of Ishbia are valid, labeling him the worst owner in NBA history seems excessive, especially given that this evaluation comes just three years into his ownership. It also appears to overshadow the issues of his predecessor, Robert Sarver, who in 2022 was fined $10 million and suspended for a year due to allegations of racist and misogynistic behavior. The investigation revealed that Sarver repeatedly used the N-word in public and made numerous sex-related comments in the workplace. Following the backlash, including from prominent NBA players like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Draymond Green, who felt the punishment was insufficient, Sarver opted to sell the team, with Ishbia eventually winning the bid.
Although Ishbia’s tenure has started poorly, it’s surprising to consider him worse than Sterling or Sarver at this stage simply for rapidly changing coaches. To place Ishbia on a path to be the worst owner seems to minimize the serious problems faced under Sterling and Sarver’s tenures.
