Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia isn't holding back when it comes to the NBA's tanking dilemma. In a bold move, he took to social media, calling out teams engaged in what he describes as "losing behavior."
"Tanking is losing behavior done by losers," Ishbia stated. "Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with.
It's embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. The idea of this as a 'strategy' is ridiculous."
Since taking the helm in Phoenix in 2023, Ishbia has been all about winning. His aggressive approach was evident with the high-profile acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. While those moves didn't pan out as hoped, they underscored his commitment to a "win now" mentality.
Never one to shy away from expressing his views, Ishbia has often clashed with media predictions. Recently, he took aim at Bill Simmons for an inaccurate forecast of the Suns' season performance.
Ishbia didn't stop there. He criticized teams for sidelining healthy players, arguing that the practice undermines the league's integrity.
"If you're a bad team, earning a good pick makes sense," Ishbia commented. "But deliberately benching players and losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of the whole league."
His remarks extended to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, urging him to tackle the tanking issue head-on.
"Awful behavior that Adam Silver and the NBA will need to stop with massive changes," Ishbia said. "I have complete confidence that with his leadership, he will fix it. Those of us in a position of influence need to speak out."
While Silver has remained relatively silent on the matter, the growing concern over tanking is becoming impossible to ignore. The league faces mounting pressure to ensure competitiveness across the board.