Suns Owner Mat Ishbia Calls Teams That Tank 'Losers'

Ishbia criticizes tanking as a 'losing behavior done by losers' and demands the NBA take action to stop the practice.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 8:15pm

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Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia took to social media to voice his strong opposition to tanking in the NBA, calling it a "losing behavior done by losers" that is "embarrassing for the league and for the organizations." Ishbia demanded that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league take "massive changes" to stop teams from purposely losing games as a strategy to improve their draft position.

Why it matters

Tanking has become a controversial issue in the NBA, with teams accused of deliberately fielding weaker lineups and losing games in order to secure a higher draft pick. Ishbia's comments reflect a growing sentiment among some team owners and league officials that this practice undermines the integrity of the game and is detrimental to fans.

The details

Ishbia's comments came after the Pacers and Jazz were fined by the NBA for perceived tanking behavior. The Suns, who traded away Kevin Durant this season, have remained competitive and currently sit in 7th place in the Western Conference standings, defying expectations that they would tank. Ishbia argued that purposely losing games is "a disgrace and impacts the integrity of the whole league" and is "much worse than any prop bet scandal."

  • Ishbia made his comments on social media on February 19, 2026.

The players

Mat Ishbia

The owner of the Phoenix Suns NBA team.

Adam Silver

The commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

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What they’re saying

“This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a 'strategy' is ridiculous.”

— Mat Ishbia, Suns Owner

“If you are a bad team, you get a good pick. That makes sense. But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of whole league.”

— Mat Ishbia, Suns Owner

“This is much worse than any prop bet scandal. This is throwing games strategically. Horrible for fans that pay to watch and cheer on their team. And horrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots.”

— Mat Ishbia, Suns Owner

“Awful behavior that Adam Silver and the NBA will need to stop with massive changes, and I have complete confidence that with his leadership, he will fix it. Those of us in a position of influence need to speak out... the only 'strategy' is doing right by fans, players, and the NBA community.”

— Mat Ishbia, Suns Owner

What’s next

The NBA is expected to address the issue of tanking during the offseason, with Commissioner Adam Silver promising to make changes to the current system.

The takeaway

Ishbia's strong condemnation of tanking reflects a growing sentiment among team owners and league officials that the practice undermines the integrity of the NBA. As a team owner who has refused to tank this season, Ishbia is calling on the league to take decisive action to stop teams from purposely losing games as a strategic move.