Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan each scored 26 points, teaming for all 11 of No. 3 Houston's points in overtime, in the Cougars' 78-74 victory over Syracuse on Monday in the opening round of the Players Era. Uzan, playing in his hometown, scored six points in OT and Sharp had five to keep the Cougars (6-0) undefeated. Chris Cenac Jr. scored all eight of his points after halftime and had 12 rebounds.
Wizards rookie Tre Johnson to miss weeks due to hip injury
Tre Johnson, the rookie guard who is one of the lone bright spots in Washington's ugly start to the season, will miss multiple weeks dealing with a hip flexor issue, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post reports.
Johnson was out for the Washington on Saturday, then on Monday the team confirmed the injury but did not provide an official return timeline.
Wizards guard Tre Johnson strained his left hip flexor against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 21. His status will be updated as appropriate.
— Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) November 24, 2025
This is the same injury that caused Johnson to miss time last season at Texas, and he had been playing through some pain there, according to Shankar at the Post.
Johnson is averaging 11.5 points a game and shooting 39.5% from 3-point range. Because of the injury, Johnson had seen his minutes drop, playing fewer than 20 in his last three before being ruled out. Look for Cam Whitmore and Corey Kispert to get more run with Johnson sidelined.
No. 15 Iowa State remains unbeaten with 83-82 victory over No. 14 St. John’s in Players Era tourney
Milan Momcilovic scored a game-high 23 points and No. 15 Iowa State defeated No. 14 St. John’s 83-82 on Monday in the Players Era tournament.
No. 14 St. John’s falls just short in 83-82 loss to No. 15 Iowa State
Milan Momcilovic scored a game-high 23 points and No. 15 Iowa State defeated No. 14 St. John’s 83-82 on Monday in the Players Era tournament.
Staton-McCray scores 22 to lead Seton Hall over No. 23 NC State 85-74
A.J. Staton-McCray scored 22 points to lead Seton Hall to an 85-74 win over No. 23 North Carolina State in a Maui Invitational quarterfinal on Monday.
How fiery Steve Kerr sparked Warriors' scorching second quarter in win over Jazz
How fiery Steve Kerr sparked Warriors' scorching second quarter in win over Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – With Draymond Green watching from the bench Monday night, the Warriors shook off an ugly first quarter, pressed the “power” button in the second quarter and became the team Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Steve Kerr keep insisting they are.
Hustle? Check. Grit? Check. Ball movement? Check. Rebounding? Check. Shooting. Check. Spirited defense, without Draymond? Double check. And two – two – turnovers, neither of which was costly.
Those 12 scorching minutes during which the Warriors outscored Utah by 21 launched them to a 134-117 victory that buried a three-game losing streak.
It all came together and a very visible tongue-lashing by Steve Kerr late in the first quarter.
“We just wanted some good vibes around here,” said Curry, who scored a game-high 31 points. “We had good practice yesterday. Utah was coming off a back-to-back (set). We wanted to get off to a better start than we did.
“But we responded after that quick timeout. Coach lit a fire underneath us, and I’m just glad the way we responded as a whole. We know we can play better, but it’s nice to have a little bit of offensive rhythm tonight and see the ball go in after a rough start.
Kerr, hopping off the bench to call a timeout, was livid about a defensive breakdown by Brandin Podziemski with 1:53 left in the first quarter that allowed Keyonte George to drain a wide-open 3-pointer, his fourth in the quarter without a miss.
“Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen were the two guys that we wanted to contain tonight and pay special attention to,” Kerr said. “And 10 minutes into the game, George is 4-for-4 from 3. Wide open shots. We just lost our focus, and I just wanted to gently remind them that we needed to focus more.”
The Warriors were being torched, as the Jazz shot 61.9 percent from the field, including 70 percent from beyond the arc, in the first quarter. Utah led by as much as 11 and took a 35-26 lead into the second quarter.
“Talents like that, they’re going to score,” Curry said. “But we gave him four wide-open 3s. And anybody knows that shouldn’t happen in this league if you’re keying on two of their best players, two of their best scorers.”
Kerr’s reminder prompted the Warriors to grow fangs and use them in the second quarter. They opened with a 21-0 run and outscored Utah 41-20. They limited the Jazz to 8-of-27 shooting from the field, including 2-of-11 from distance.
Meanwhile, Golden State was shooting 58.6 percent from the field, including 53.8 percent from deep, with Moses Moody (10 points) and Buddy Hield (nine) accounting for almost half the 41 points, while Pat Spencer and rookie Will Richard came off the bench, bringing energy.
The game had flipped. The Warriors, despite a few lapses, looked like a different team over the final three quarters, posting a 108-82 advantage.
“We took care of the ball, and that’s priority No. 1 for us,” Kerr said, referring to eight turnovers after the first quarter. “When we take care of it, we generally win. We’re 9-1 now, when we win a turnover battle, and like 1-8 when we don’t. It’s obvious what our measuring stick is, and that helps our defense. I like that. I like the way the ball moved. And once we got a Pat and Will out there, I really liked the ball movement, the flow, the energy, it just it felt right.”
One clue of the team’s energy is that of the 11 Warriors who played, all but one grabbed at least two rebounds. The persistence on the glass allowed them to post a 50-47 rebounding edge over a much bigger Utah squad.
Hield, slumping most of the season, delivered his most productively efficient game thus far, finishing with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from distance. He added five rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes.
From big things to the little things – the kind of things neglected all too often – it was 36 minutes of high-quality hoops that allowed the Warriors to roll to a rare feel-good win.
Now, it’s about staying on point, finding consistency and gathering momentum.
“That’s the biggest thing, understanding how they’re trying to score who’s going to have the ball,” Curry said. “But you have to just go step-by-step in terms of us putting together 48 minutes of solid sound defense, where we’re truly proud of the way we play, start to finish.
“We know we haven’t done that yet.”
With 63 games remaining, there will be plenty of opportunities to change that.
Keegan Murray shines thanks to new mindset in Kings' OT win vs. Timberwolves
Keegan Murray shines thanks to new mindset in Kings' OT win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The difference a two-way wing like Keegan Murray can make.
Behind Murray’s 26 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, the Kings, 18 games later, picked up consecutive wins for the first time in the 2025-26 NBA season, edging past the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-112 in overtime on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.
In October, Murray tore the UCL in his left thumb during a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers and underwent surgery, forcing him to miss the first 15 games of the season.
In that span, the Kings racked up a poor 3-12 record, including an eight–game losing skid. It appeared as if there were no possible remedies to Sacramento’s ailment.
Insert, Murray, who early on in his third season, is proving why the Kings shelled out a five-year, $140 million extension for his services.
“It makes a big difference having Keegan Murray back,” veteran DeMar DeRozan told NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper, Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.”
“One of our best players. A guy that could go out and do everything. He changed the dynamic of the floor, so having him out there definitely helps.”
"It makes a big difference having Keegan Murray back."
DeMar praises Keegan's talent 🤝 pic.twitter.com/N0HGh0bmeR
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Sacramento now has won two of the three games that have featured Murray. The 25-year-old is back. The Kings are back.
But perhaps more importantly, Murray’s long-awaited two-way aggressiveness and fierce mentality are here.
“I think I just had a really good offseason,” Murray told reporters. “I got away from Sacramento a little bit. I feel like I just unlocked a different mindset going into this year.
“Obviously, I couldn’t start this season. Obviously, I missed a month to start. For me, it’s just finding my rhythm back and each game I’m feeling more comfortable on the court. So, aggression is not really an issue for me this year.”
"I feel like I just unlocked a different mindset going into this year."
Keegan shares how he improved over the offseason 👏 pic.twitter.com/DfVlp8Nst5
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Murray drilled a wide-open 3-pointer to give the Kings a 110-107 lead with two minutes left in overtime, helping Sacramento overcome a once 10-point deficit with 3:04 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
DeRozan, who surpassed Alex English in the league’s all-time scoring list, posted a team-high 33 points.
DeMar DeRozan passes Alex English on the NBA's all-time scoring list 👏 pic.twitter.com/3Q0M7Z4JxB
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Malik Monk added 22 points off the bench for the Kings, while Precious Achiuwa registered 10 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento.
With a menacing Murray on the floor, purple beams await the Kings.
Keegan Murray shines thanks to new mindset in Kings' OT win vs. Timberwolves
Keegan Murray shines thanks to new mindset in Kings' OT win vs. Timberwolves originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The difference a two-way wing like Keegan Murray can make.
Behind Murray’s 26 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, the Kings, 18 games later, picked up consecutive wins for the first time in the 2025-26 NBA season, edging past the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-112 in overtime on Monday night at Golden 1 Center.
In October, Murray tore the UCL in his left thumb during a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers and underwent surgery, forcing him to miss the first 15 games of the season.
In that span, the Kings racked up a poor 3-12 record, including an eight–game losing skid. It appeared as if there were no possible remedies to Sacramento’s ailment.
Insert, Murray, who, early on in his third season, is proving why the Kings shelled out a five-year, $140 million contract extension for his services.
“It makes a big difference having Keegan Murray back,” veteran DeMar DeRozan told NBC Sports California’s Kyle Draper, Morgan Ragan and Deuce Mason on “Kings Postgame Live.”
“One of our best players. A guy that could go out and do everything. He changed the dynamic of the floor, so having him out there definitely helps.”
"It makes a big difference having Keegan Murray back."
DeMar praises Keegan's talent 🤝 pic.twitter.com/N0HGh0bmeR
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Sacramento now has won two of the three games that have featured Murray. The 25-year-old is back. The Kings are back.
But perhaps more importantly, Murray’s long-awaited two-way aggressiveness and fierce mentality are here.
“I think I just had a really good offseason,” Murray told reporters. “I got away from Sacramento a little bit. I feel like I just unlocked a different mindset going into this year.
“Obviously, I couldn’t start this season. Obviously, I missed a month to start. For me, it’s just finding my rhythm back and each game I’m feeling more comfortable on the court. So, aggression is not really an issue for me this year.”
"I feel like I just unlocked a different mindset going into this year."
Keegan shares how he improved over the offseason 👏 pic.twitter.com/DfVlp8Nst5
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Murray drilled a wide-open 3-pointer to give the Kings a 110-107 lead with two minutes left in overtime, helping Sacramento overcome a once 10-point deficit with 3:04 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
DeRozan, who surpassed Alex English in the league’s all-time scoring list, posted a team-high 33 points.
DeMar DeRozan passes Alex English on the NBA's all-time scoring list 👏 pic.twitter.com/3Q0M7Z4JxB
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) November 25, 2025
Malik Monk added 22 points off the bench for the Kings, while Precious Achiuwa registered 10 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento.
With a menacing Murray on the floor, purple beams await the Kings.
Steph Curry acknowledges intent in wearing Michael Jordan shoes before Jazz game
Steph Curry acknowledges intent in wearing Michael Jordan shoes before Jazz game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There is intent behind everything Warriors star Steph Curry does.
Which is why it should come as no surprise to anyone that it wasn’t a coincidence that the sneaker free agent wore Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” shoes as he arrived at Chase Center for Monday’s contest against the Utah Jazz.
After all, Jordan’s iconic 1997 NBA Finals Game 5 performance came against the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
“It’s kind of cool understanding the history of the game and the themes around certain teams we’re playing,” Curry told reporters after the game. “So I brought out the ‘Flu Games’ and the ‘Final Shots.’ And then played in the Sabrina 3.
“So just kinda … Everybody should be on alert. I’m calling everybody. Trying to get some good product but it’s just fun to, again, honor certain eras, moments in the game, current athletes who are doing great things and just having fun with it.”
Curry switched from the Jordan XIIs to the Jordan 14s for his pregame warmups.
But instead of returning to his customary Curry Brand kicks for the actual game, the Warriors superstar wore New York Liberty star and Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu’s Nike “IONESCREW” Sabrina 3s against the Jazz.
“We have a long history — she’s from the Bay, and just obviously following her career,” Curry told reporters. “There was a time when she was coming out of school, and I was trying to get her to Curry Brand. It’s hard to get an Oregon Duck to leave Nike. But it was cool.
“It was kind of a coincidence — I didn’t know she was going to be here until yesterday — and I just had a pair of shoes, and it was a great moment. She’s doing amazing things, she’s a champ and to honor another Bay Area athlete that’s doing amazing stuff.”
Curry parted ways with Under Armour earlier in November and has been rocking other shoe brands before Warriors games. Monday was the first time since 2013 that he had worn non-Under Armours.
While it’s clear Curry is putting thought into the shoes he is wearing, it’s not known when he will decide on a new sneaker home for his Curry Brand kicks.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case
NEW YORK (AP) — Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he profited from rigged poker games involving several Mafia figures and at least one other ex-NBA player.
Billups, a five-time All Star who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was arraigned in a federal court in Brooklyn on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors say he was involved in a scheme to rig mob-backed illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons. Others face charges of running an illegal gambling business, robbery conspiracy and extortion conspiracy. Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants but did not identify them.
U.S. District Court Judge Ramon Reyes said he hopes to bring the sprawling case to trial by next September, telling lawyers to "do what you have to do.”
Billups, dressed in a dark grey suit, spoke only to answer yes-or-no questions from the judge. His lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his plea. They declined to comment after the hearing. Last month, another Billups lawyer called him a “man of integrity” who denies the allegations.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” attorney Chris Heywood said after Billups first appeared in court on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.
Billups, 49, was released on a $5 million bond secured by his family’s Colorado home. He must refrain from gambling, avoid contact with other defendants or alleged victims, surrender his passport and limit travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York, and Washington, D.C.
Inducted last year into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Billups was arguably the most prominent among more than 30 people charged in last month’s sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports.
Ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also charged in the poker scheme, as well as another separate scheme to let gamblers exploit insider information about players to win NBA bets that implicated Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
In addition to Monday's arraignment, Billups and his co-defendants attended a status conference and are due back in court March 4.
Prosecutors say the poker-rigging scheme used altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in chip trays, special sunglasses and X-ray equipment built into the table to read cards. They allege the operation defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million starting in at least 2019.
Billups allegedly served as a celebrity “face card” that could draw wealthy, unsuspecting players to the games. Prosecutors said organizers texted during one game that a victim “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck.”
Prosecutors say Billups received a portion of the ill-gotten gains. including a $50,000 wire transfer after a rigged game in October 2020.
Organizers also had to share their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno mob families for operating within the illegal poker games run by the New York criminal enterprises, prosecutors said. In return, Mafia members allegedly carried out assault, extortion and robbery to collect debts and protect the operation.
During his NBA career, Billups earned about $106 million. After retiring in 2014, he embarked on a career as a TV analyst before pivoting to coaching.
Billups was selected as the third overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Boston Celtics after starring in college for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played 17 years in the NBA, with stints with the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.
But he is perhaps most beloved in the Motor City, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his knack of making clutch shots.
Billups was named the NBA Finals MVP during the Pistons' title run in 2004 and had his No. 1 jersey retired by the team.
He was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multiyear extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year after the team missed out on the playoffs for the fourth straight season in 2024. Billups previously served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.
After his arrest, he was placed on unpaid leave and the Trail Blazers named assistant coach and former NBA player Tiago Splitter as interim coach.
Flory Bidunga’s 18 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks lead Kansas past Notre Dame 71-61
Flory Bidunga had 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five blocks, Bryson Tiller added 17 points and nine boards, and Kansas beat Notre Dame 71-61 in the Players Era Tournament on Monday for its first power-conference victory of the season. Tre White chipped in with 16 points and nine rebounds for Kansas (4-2), which was coming off a 78-66 loss to then-No. Duke in the Champions Classic.
What we learned as Steph Curry's smooth 31 points power Warriors' win over Jazz
What we learned as Steph Curry's smooth 31 points power Warriors' win over Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Between the Warriors and Utah Jazz, one team was bound to snap a three-game losing streak Monday night at Chase Center.
Luckily for the home fans, the team that found its way back into the win column was the Warriors, beating the Jazz 134-117.
Scoring was spread up and down the Warriors. Steph Curry scored a game-high 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting and now has scored at least 30 points in five of his last six games. The sneaker free agent played in Nikes, the first game he had done so since 2013, rocking a pair of IONESCREW Sabrina 3s with Bay Area native and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu in the building.
Jimmy Butler scored an efficient 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and Buddy Hield dropped a season-high 20 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting and 4 of 8 from deep, also adding five rebounds and four assists.
The Jazz began the game ahead 11-0 as the Warriors missed their first six shots, including five 3-pointers. Each team then used its own extended runs in the first half, as the Warriors strung together a spectacular second quarter and very strong third to give them a 22-point lead entering the fourth.
Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ blowout win.
GP2 Gets The Starting Nod
How did Steve Kerr combat an already-small Warriors team against the much-bigger Jazz on a night where Golden State was without Draymond Green and Al Horford? Putting a 6-foot-2 Gary Payton II on a 7-foot Lauri Markkanen to begin the game, of course.
Payton from the get-go did all the small things (no pun intended) that make him so valuable in certain matchups. He was cutting behind Utah’s defense, grabbing rebounds and keeping the ball moving right away. The Warriors’ first three made shots were all assisted by Payton.
Standing 10 inches shorter than Markkanen and still frustrating him was only one part of Payton’s game. Payton, in 21 minutes, scored nine points, came down with six rebounds and dished a career-high eight assists.
Oh, and Markkanen went just 6 of 15 from the field, making one of his five 3-point attempts.
18-0 Run … Without Steph
The goal when Curry sits is to stay afloat. To keep the game in reach, stay even if possible and win on the margins the best you can. Another way to win the non-Steph minutes is to go on an 18-0 run without him.
And that’s exactly what the Warriors did in the second quarter.
The Warriors entered the second quarter down by nine points, 35-26. They then led 44-35 when Curry came back in at the 7:13 mark, going from trailing by nine points to having a nine-point lead themselves. Points came from four different players: Moody (eight), Butler (four), Quinten Post (three) and Will Richard (three).
Those four players, plus Pat Spencer, were the ones on the floor for the run. A Curry three then made it a 21-0 run, before a Kyle Filipowski three finally ended the Jazz’s scoring drought.
Curry still scored eight points over seven minutes in the second quarter, but it was all about what the Warriors were able to do without him. His teammates scored 33 points in the second quarter, which would have outscored the Jazz by 13.
Message Received
An irate Kerr called a timeout with a little under two minutes left in the first quarter after yet another open 3-pointer made by Jazz guard Keyonte George. Kerr was clapping his hands and letting his team have it. In particular, the message seemed to be aimed at Brandin Podziemski, who tried blaming a teammate for George’s corner three while he guarded nothing but open space.
Defense, on a night where the Warriors didn’t have Green as their savior, was missing in action early on. The Jazz shot 61.9 percent from the field in the first quarter (13 of 21), and went 7 of 10 on threes. George scored 15 points by himself, two fewer than the Warriors’ starters combined.
Kerr kept Podziemski in for the rest of the quarter, but then replaced him to start the second quarter, where he remained throughout the rest of the first half. In fact, Podziemski didn’t come back in until there were a little under seven minutes left in the third quarter. He was a minus-10 at the time with two points.
After the Jazz’s started scoring from downtown, they were held to 4 of 25 (16 percent) the rest of the game, and Podziemski ended as a minus-2 in 18 minutes with six points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Arizona jumps to No. 2 behind Purdue in AP Top 25, Alabama into top 10; Kansas falls out of rankings
Purdue remained at No. 1 in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, while Arizona jumped to No. 2 to continue its opening-month rise after another impressive win against a ranked opponent.
Cameron Carr scores 21 and Baylor holds off Creighton 81-74 in the Players Era Tournament
Cameron Carr had 21 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and Baylor held off Creighton 81-74 on Monday in the Players Era Tournament. Carr, who entered leading BU at 23.7 points per game, scored 11 of his points in the second half and finished 7 of 16 from the field and 7 of 8 at the free-throw line. Following an offensive rebound, Carr threw down an alley-oop dunk off a pass by Obi Agbim to make it 75-68 with 1:09 to go.
Lawsuit claims Suns owner Mat Ishbia treated team like his ‘personal piggy bank’
The legal battle between Phoenix Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia and two of the franchise’s minority owners took another turn Monday, with the stakeholders accusing Ishbia of using the basketball organizations as his own “personal piggy bank” while hiding details of his spending from them.
Andy Kohlberg and Scott Seldin say Ishbia has mismanaged the pro basketball organizations, accusing him of financial malfeasance and of trying to use a capital call to try to bully them out of some of their shares in the franchises. Instead, they allege, it blew up in Ishbia’s face and afforded them an opportunity to take a majority share of the teams.
The accusations come in a legal filing made last week in Delaware court in response to a countersuit filed by Ishbia last month against the two minority owners, who had originally sued in August to begin what has become a messy legal drama.
“Ishbia does not own the Suns to make money for the company but he does operate it as a personal fiefdom for his own personal gain and for the benefit of his other businesses, including his mortgage company United Wholesale Mortgage,” the legal filing states. “The reality is that Ishbia is using the Suns as his personal piggy bank, including through a lengthy list of conflicted transactions — only some of which the Minority Owners are aware of.”
Ishbia, the two minority owners allege, made a loan to the Suns at an interest rate that is significantly above market rate. They say he leased the Mercury’s new practice facility to himself. They also claim that he has turned the Suns and Mercury into money-losing franchises while he intends to make money through UWM.
“This isn’t a lawsuit; it’s a shameless shakedown dressed up as legal process,” a spokesperson for Ishbia said. “From day one, Mat Ishbia was transparent that he was going to do things differently. Contrary to how the team was previously managed, Mat made it very clear he would invest significantly into the Suns and Mercury. He told all the investors that they could step up with him or sell their stake and step aside. Kohlberg and Seldin stayed in and now they’re trying to freeload off the value Mat created.
“Kohlberg and Seldin want to drag the organization backward, and they openly admit in this filing that investing in the team and its fans ‘makes no business sense.’ They are advocating neglect. They are free to sell their shares in the open market and if they don’t, they should be prepared to lose this lawsuit and participate in Mat’s continued investments in the teams and community.”
Ishbia, in an appearance on “The Draymond Green Show,” said the two minority partners “can sell if they want” and should be thanking him.
“Those people, they think about money. All the people think about money,” Ishbia said. “The way I look at it is, let’s do the right thing. Money follows success. It’s not the other way around.”
“And by the way, since I bought the team at $4 billion, it’s worth, what, $6 billion now? It’s gone up,” he said later. “I told them, ‘Instead of suing me, why don’t you just write me a letter and say, thank you? Your investment is worth more.”
"Instead of suing me, why don't you just write me a letter and say, thank you?" – @Mishbia15 responds to the minority owners' lawsuits on The Draymond Green Show… pic.twitter.com/YvqIus8Xfr
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) November 24, 2025
The disagreement stems from a capital call this past summer. Kohlberg said he originally went to Ishbia last September looking for the majority owner to buy out his share because of his own liquidity issues. Ishbia bought more than half of the teams in early 2023 at a $4 billion valuation and has since then bought out other minority shareholders. Kohlberg, through the legal filing, said Ishbia did not respond initially. When he went to him again and asked that he answer his offer by June 1, 2025, Ishbia, the filing said, set a capital call for the next day.
That capital call, the two minority owners claim, was used as a way to dilute their shares in the teams, which could occur if they did not pay, and to create a new lower per-unit share price. They ended up contributing their share, but when another member did not, Ishbia set another capital call for the next month, according to the filing, and they paid again.
They later learned that more of the capital had not been funded and that Ishbia had used a debt-to-equity conversion to fill the financial gap. This maneuver, Kohlberg and Seldin say, was not the legitimate way to do that. The two minority owners also say that a July 8, 2025, capital call was also not fully funded on time. They argue that under the team’s operating agreement, they would be afforded to buy the shares Ishbia had not funded himself. If they did, they would then have a majority stake in the franchises.
“Ishbia blundered into the very trap he set for the Minority Owners and faced a devastating dilution of his ownership interest if his failure was discovered,” the filing said. ”A failure that would wipe off his net worth and put his continued status as an NBA team owner and governor in jeopardy.”
Since assuming controlling interest of the Phoenix organizations in February 2023, Ishbia has promised championships. He started by spending. With the Suns, he made a big, early splash, trading for superstar Kevin Durant. Ishbia and the front office later doubled down and traded for Bradley Beal despite the star guard’s injury history and burdensome contract that included a no-trade clause. The moves backfired.
Last season, the Suns were perhaps the NBA’s biggest disappointment. Built around Durant, Beal and Devin Booker, they had the league’s most expensive roster, yet they finished 36-46 and failed to make the Play-In Tournament. Ishbia promised change.
Over the offseason, he overhauled the roster and front office. Phoenix traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and negotiated a buyout of Beal, a move that got the Suns out of the second apron, a payroll threshold that limits an organization’s ability to make roster moves, as well as the luxury tax.
Built around Booker, this season’s team lacks star power but has played well over the season’s first month. Entering Monday, the Suns (11-6) were one of the NBA’s early surprises under first-year coach Jordan Ott and had won eight of their past nine.
The Mercury have been more successful. In July of 2024, the WNBA franchise opened a $100 million, 58,000-square-foot practice facility in downtown Phoenix. Last season, the Mercury advanced to the WNBA Finals, where the Las Vegas Aces swept them in four games.
But the off-court issues continue.
Kohlberg and Seldin, who have invested in the Suns for more than two decades, first began their legal battle against Ishbia this summer, when they sued him for a lack of transparency and the team’s unwillingness to provide them with internal financial records. They alleged that Ishbia’s capital call in June appeared to be “part of a leverage strategy to exert pressure on and dilute” their ownership shares.
Ishbia countersued last month, claiming the minority owners were trying to force him to buy out their ownership stakes at an “extortionate” cost. He dismissed their claims as part of a public-relations ploy.
Kohlberg and Seldin are the only remaining minority owners who still invested in the Suns and Mercury, and originally bought in while Robert Sarver led the franchises. Ishbia bought the two teams in early 2023 and has since rolled up minority stakes; he now owns roughly 85 percent of the franchises.
Ishbia professed this fall that he will not settle any of the seven lawsuits he and the teams face. In addition to the mismanagement complaint, former and current employees have accused the organization of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other issues. The Suns have denied these allegations.
“The truth is, you actually got to win a lawsuit,” Ishbia said in September. “And where I’m different than most successful people … is like, we don’t settle. If we don’t do anything wrong, I’m not paying someone. I hope you guys all report on how many lawsuits we actually lose.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, NBA, WNBA
2025 The Athletic Media Company