New Suns GM Brian Gregory on relationship with team owner Mat Ishbia
Gregory: “Mat is an owner that is involved, and I like that. But he has also empowered me to build this team.”
Mat Ishbia’s hoop dreams stopped short after college, but he can still play ball.
On Thursday, July 31, footage of the Phoenix Suns owner and former Michigan State walk-on’s smooth, quick one-on-one move near the start of Ishbia’s United Wholesale Mortgage’s annual 5-on-5 charity game surfaced. It was played at the company’s UWM Sports Complex headquarters in Pontiac, Michigan.
The 45-year-old Ishbia caught an entry pass from the wing. After the ball was briefly deflected, Ishbia recovered it at the 3-point line. With his back to the basket, he took two dribbles to gain position against his defender, slightly hooked him to create separation, then spun toward the baseline in a drop-step with three more dribbles along the baseline.
Another defender rotated toward Ishbia but couldn’t stop him in mid-air. A whistle was blown for the foul, and-one on the contested layup finish.
Ishbia’s team UWM Select won, 44-36. The game was a fundraiser for Adopt A School. Ishbia’s alma mater, Michigan State, has its cheerleading team perform at the game.
The Suns’ new player development coach Mateen Cleaves, who works under the team’s new head coach Jordan Ott, was also on UWM Select. Cleaves is a former All-American who led Michigan State to the 2000 national title. Ishbia was a walk-on for the Spartans that year.
Ishbia’s role as the 15th player on that roster inspired him to create the Suns and Phoenix Mercury’s business operation Player 15 Group, which launched in downtown Phoenix in April 2024.
After Ishbia’s college days, he built UWM into one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders and became a billionaire when the company sold its IPO in 2022. He bought the Suns in February 2023.