PHOENIX — Mat Ishbia kept listing events.
The NCAA men’s basketball Final Four next month. The WNBA All-Star Game in July. The NCAA women’s Final Four in 2026. And, after Thursday’s announcement, the NBA All-Star weekend in 2027.
All coming soon to an arena in Arizona.
“Phoenix should be, and I believe is, the epicenter of basketball in the country. I think it’s really an amazing place,” said Ishbia, governor of the Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury.
Ishbia and Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein discussed the All-Star Game and the past year on a conference call this week with The Athletic. The executives share common roots. A former walk-on, Ishbia played basketball at Michigan State. Bartelstein played at Michigan.
“We don’t have to acknowledge that on this call,” Ishbia said of Bartelstein’s alma mater, a nod to the in-state rivalry.
With Big Ten backgrounds, Ishbia and Bartelstein understand basketball passion. They know what it means to people in the Midwest. The obvious question: Can this be duplicated in the desert?
“Absolutely,’’ Ishbia said. “Now don’t get me wrong — the weather makes it a lot easier for these types of events. But at the same time, people love their basketball here in Phoenix. I’m telling you. Not just men’s basketball….
