Nikola Jokic pushes Suns owner Mat Ishbia: Nuggets center given technical foul for run-in during NBA Playoffs

Gilbert McGregor

Nikola Jokic pushes Suns owner Mat Ishbia: Nuggets center given technical foul for run-in during NBA Playoffs image

Newly-minted Suns owner Mat Ishbia is known for his competitive nature as a businessman, but in Game 4 of his team's playoff series with the Nuggets, that competitive nature got him into an altercation with Denver's best player.

In the latest Western Conference Semifinal matchup between the Nuggets and Suns, a run-in between Ishbia and Nikola Jokic resulted in the two-time MVP being assessed a technical foul.

As the first half wound down, a loose ball made its way toward Ishbia, who was seated courtside. As Jokic looked to get the ball to push in transition, Ishbia was reluctant to let it go, resulting in Jokic attempting to rip the ball from Ishbia's hands.

After the ball flew into the hands of a fan seated a few rows back, Jokic nudged Ishbia, who may or may not have embellished the contact with something of a flop back into his chair.

Security for both the Nuggets and Suns came in to de-escalate the situation, and Jokic was eventually given a technical foul. It is unclear whether he was aware that his run-in was with the owner of the franchise.

During the struggle for possession of the basketball, another fan was spotted striking Jokic on the arm. For his actions, the fan was ejected from the arena and is subject to further discipline.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk asked Ishbia for his account of the minor incident, but Ishbia declined to comment.

Who is Mat Ishbia?

Ishbia is the chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, a mortgage lender based in Michigan that was founded by his father, Jeff, in 1986.

Ishbia became the majority owner of the Suns in December 2022 when he purchased the team from Robert Sarver in a deal worth over $4 billion. It is the largest sale in league history.

Ishbia played basketball while at Michigan State and was part of the men's team that won the 2000 NCAA Tournament. A non-scholarship player for the Spartans, he appeared in 48 games over three seasons, posting averages of 0.6 points and 0.3 rebounds in 2.4 minutes.

According to Forbes, Ishbia has a net worth of $7 billion.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.