Suns Owner Mat Ishbia Rips NBA’s Tanking Crisis: ‘Much Worse Than Any Prop Bet Scandal’

Tanking is yet again at the forefront of NBA discussion, which is usually the case this time of year. It is a bit different this season, however, because of just how many teams will be tanking—and there is no longer a limit on how blatant they’re willing to be in their efforts to lose games. The 2026 NBA draft is expected to be overflowing with elite talent at the top of the order and there are multiple teams at risk of losing their first-round pick if they do not finish near the bottom of the standings. The combination of factors is expected to lead to the most audacious race to the bottom in recent memory and has already resulted in Adam Silver levying a big fine on the Jazz for their tanking activities before All-Star Weekend.

On Thursday, with the last stretch of the 2025–26 season set to tip off after the break, Suns owner Mat Ishbia decided to give his thoughts on the NBA’s tanking crisis. Suffice to say he thinks it’s the single biggest issue facing the league today.

In response to a Yahoo! Sports article ranking the tanking teams based on the quality of their losing strategy, Ishbia lambasted tanking as “losing behavior done by losers” and declared it’s “much worse than any prop bet scandal.” He went on to state Silver and the NBA must find a way to fix it with “massive changes.”

“This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers,” Ishbia furiously wrote on social media. “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 good pick. That makes sense. But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of [the] 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.

“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.”

It is quite a strong statement. It’s also one the NBA might have preferred stay internal given the league is dealing with an ongoing prop bet scandal involving Terry Rozier and federal authorities. And when one digs into it, it’s a bit tricky to argue tanking is worse than prop bet scandals when one involves potential jail time.

Ishbia lays out the larger issues at hand regardless. It’s one thing for a team’s front office to assemble a roster that will struggle to compete against better talent. In fact, it’s an inevitability of professional sports that a few teams will trot out lesser-talented rosters than their opponents. It’s quite another to see a team yank their starters after three quarters no matter what (like Utah did) or for stars such as Anthony Davis and Trae Young to be shut down for the year because the Wizards have to lose in order to keep their draft pick.

The 46-year-old Ishbia bought the Suns in 2022 and the team has consistently swung big during his tenure. They were expected to be among the bad teams of this NBA season but surprised everyone and exit the All-Star break 32-23 record. There won’t be reason to tank in Phoenix anytime soon even if Ishbia saw it as a valid strategy.

Silver said during All-Star weekend the league will look at every possible solution to address tanking. Ishbia, obviously, is very on board with doing so.

Mat Ishbia, Mark Cuban don’t agree on tanking

Ishbia’s comments are notable for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons? How starkly they stand out in contrast to Mark Cuban’s on this same topic days earlier.

Cuban is no longer a majority owner after selling the Mavericks to the Dumont family but he remains a minority stakeholder. He also has never been afraid to share his opinions. On Monday, Cuban made his case that the NBA should embrace tanking under the guise that the fan experience matters more than wins and losses; what’s more, losing in the short-term in order to prosper in the long-term is the most effective way to compete for titles. Cuban argues the NBA should understand that fans don’t care so much about their team competing to win every night as they do being able to afford to see their team.

Obviously Ishbia doesn’t agree with that sentiment at all. But it’s a fascinating opposition from the league’s two most outspoken owners on social media.

Mat Ishbia, Mark Cuban don’t agree on tanking

More NBA on Sports Illustrated