Salient facts about Mat Ishbia, the new owner of the Phoenix Suns:
He was the shortest player on Michigan State's basketball team 20 years ago, but was one of those cheerful and energetic guys that either please and inspire his teammates or drive them batty.
He was a member of the 1999-2000 N.C.A.A. championship team.
As a freshman, though, he didn't play much.
Four of those teammates went to the N.B.A. but not Ishbia. Instead, he went to work at his father’s small mortgage-lending company, United Wholesale Mortgage.
Ishbia is now its billionaire chief executive overseeing thousands of employees, including a few of his old teammates. He purchased a majority share of both the Suns and the W.N.B.A. Phoenix Mercury, a combined team value of $4 billion.
Last month, U.W.M. passed Rocket Mortgage as the largest mortgage lender in the country. Rocket Mortgage was founded by Dan Gilbert, who owns the N.B.A.’s Cleveland Cavaliers. This should
add some spice to future Cavaliers-Suns games.
His stated goals are "to reboot the workplace culture of the Suns, while also bringing the franchise its first championship" and welcoming the return of Brittney Griner to the Mercury.
In addition to his parents, Ishbia cites Michigan State coach Tom Izzo as his biggest influence. Izzo "taught Ishbia how to hold people accountable and motivate them. Ishbia was a student coach under Izzo for his final season."
He hasn't forgotten his alma mater, either. Last year, he gave MSU $32 million.