Inside The Suns

Suns Owner Goes Viral During NBA All-Star Weekend

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia earned some massive respect.
Donnie Druin|
Feb 13, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Mat Ishbia arrives on the green carpet prior to an NBA Celebrity All-Star basketball game at Kia Forum. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
Feb 13, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Mat Ishbia arrives on the green carpet prior to an NBA Celebrity All-Star basketball game at Kia Forum. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

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Phoenix Suns

The playing days of Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia are far gone — though the former Michigan State product and national champion with the Spartans laced it up to compete in the 2026 NBA Celebrity All-Star game on Friday

Official stat lines aren't kept, though Ishbia was a notable participant throughout the night.

Ishbia went viral for a few moments throughout the night, most notably sinking a rainbow shot over Tacko Fall.

Ishbia also picked up NBA insider Shams Charania full-court with some aggressive defense.

The performance gained some notable recognition across the sports world:

Full highlights:

"I don't know what else to do besides that inside these lines," Ishbia told The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin after the game.

"Outside the lines, I can do whatever, but inside the lines, I'm going to play hard. That's all I know."

Ishbia perfectly exemplified the toughness and gritty play that his Suns have shown through the early stages of the 2025-26 season. Phoenix is a top-five defensive team in terms of points per game and rank second in the NBA for steals per night.

"I had a great time competing with some good guys, having some fun. Playing hard and competing," Ishbia continued.

Ishbia rocked Suns star Devin Booker's new signature Nike shoes during the game, too.

Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo even suggested Ishbia had the game rigged in his favor.

"He got all the calls, man. He got all thje calls. Come on man. The game is rigged," he said after action.

Ishbia fired back with, "I needed a couple of them."

The Suns' owner, according to Rankin, said he hasn't played in a legitimate basketball game in over 20 years.

Ishbia played a fun game on Friday, though that won't be the Suns' only representation for NBA All-Star Weekend.

Booker is competing in today's three-point contest and also will be playing in the All-Star Game on Sunday.

Maybe Booker can take some notes from Ishbia's outing.

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Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns On SI. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with the company since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!

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