Suns' Mat Ishbia on Cavs' Dan Gilbert: 'He Doesn't Like Me, and I Don't Like Him'

Competitors in the real estate business and now in the NBA, there is clearly no love lost between Dan Gilbert and Mat Ishbia.

The new Phoenix Suns governor broke down his beef with Gilbert during an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast, saying it stems from their contentious business dealings.

"He doesn't like me and I don't like him," Ishbia said. "I don't like the way they do business in a lot of things. He probably doesn't like the way we do things. We're in the same town. We compete. We're winning. That's what it is right now."

Ishbia's purchase of the Suns was approved by NBA governors by a unanimous vote, with Gilbert being the only abstention. The Cavaliers governor is no stranger to controversy—his Comic Sans letter to LeBron James will forever live in infamy—and Ishbia said Gilbert refusing to vote in his favor shows his character.

"I knew without a question that that'd probably be how he handled [the ownership vote]," Ishbia said. "And the best part is now you get to see who I see. Very simply. Now you see who I see and what I know about that man."

Ishbia is the CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, while Gilbert is the majority owner of Rocket Mortgage. Rocket Mortage has historically been the nation's top mortgage lender for several years, but United Wholesale took over the top slot in 2022.

It remains to be seen whether that competition will spill over and impact the on-court dealings between the two organizations.