In no uncertain terms, Mat Ishbia is no fan of tanking.
Responding to NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s comments about tanking being more prevalent than ever, the Phoenix Suns owner railed against the perceived practice on Thursday.
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.
If you are a bad team, you get a… https://t.co/VoUx3YEdB5
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) February 19, 2026
“Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with,” Ishbia wrote on social media. “Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a ‘strategy’ is ridiculous.”
The owner of the Suns since 2023, Ishbia decried the practice of resting players, or even shutting them down, to lose games.
“If you are a bad team, you get a good pick,” Ishbia said. “That makes sense. But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of whole league. 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.”
A native of Birmingham, MI, Ishbia went on to call for Silver to ensure the practice cannot continue.
“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,” Ishbia continued. “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."
Ishbia’s Suns currently sit at 32-23, good for seventh in the Western Conference. They trail the Minnesota Timberwolves by 1.5 games for the final guaranteed playoff spot. The Suns return from the All-Star break on Thursday night with a visit to the San Antonio Spurs (38-16).