'Best days ever': Inside look at Phoenix Suns visit to owner Mat Ishbia's United Wholesale Mortgage campus

It’s not every day an NBA team takes a tour of your workplace and holds an actual practice there – unless of course the franchise's majority owner is also CEO of a company that has a basketball court.

Last week, Mat Ishbia opened the doors to his epic United Wholesale Mortgage campus, which stretches 1.5-million square feet in Pontiac, Mich., to the Phoenix Suns the day after they topped the Detroit Pistons in an afternoon preseason game at Little Caesars Arena.

“It was ultimately exciting for Mat because it gave a great chance for him to be able to merge his two lives together with the team and also his UWM team and family,” said Kelvin Tolbert, UWM wholesale development specialist.

Years before Ishbia bought the Suns and WNBA's Phoenix Mercury for a record $4 billion last February, he led UWM to becoming to the No. 1 mortgage lender in America, today worth $8.12 billion.

This was an opportunity for him show the Suns his company and his UWM team members to see their NBA team in person.

“He don’t lie when he say he’s going to do whatever it takes and make everything look good,” Suns wing Josh Okogie said “That was one of the best offices I’ve ever been to in my life. Everything was top tier. Everything was A-1. Never seen anything like it.”

Calling the experience “awesome” in his tweet, Ishbia turned what would’ve been just a normal NBA road trip into an unforgettable moment for everyone involved.

“It was a pure intention of going in there and participating and getting to see his world out there and what he has built with UWM,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “The culture that he sets. It’s not just about the success that he’s had, but the way they do things, the high level of accountability, but also treating the employees very well, is a great message. Something that we welcome him bringing to the Phoenix Suns. The campus is impressive. His home was great. The whole trip was really good.”

The Suns toured the campus and conducted a practice for UWM team members.

"It was a good time," said Suns star Devin Booker, who was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Mich. "I think that was important for Mat. I was definitely fine with it back in Michigan. Walking through his headquarters and some people yelling out they're from my city. It was a really good time and I think really important for him to collide both worlds. He had everybody in there in Phoenix Suns gear. We have a hub in Michigan now of some Phoenix Suns fans, which is important."

KD? Really?

Nicole Roberts, UWM senior public relations strategist, said planning began for the visit right after Phoenix's five-game preseason schedule was announced Aug. 14. Detroit was the first preseason game.

Oct. 9 couldn’t get here soon enough for Justin White.

“My initial reaction was excitement,” the UWM state policy specialist said. “It’s not often that you can have an athlete you’ve looked up to and cheered on for years, like Kevin Durant, stop by your office.”

Days before the Suns arrived, UWM handed out team t-shirts to wear the day of the visit.

“Just the experience of so many of the workers having the chance of seeing guys they see on TV in person is an experience of a lifetime,” Tolbert said.

'Building an empire'

The Suns had a total of 65 people including team sponsors, executive team and global partnership solution team members travel to Detroit.

First things first. Preseason game to play.

The Suns upended the Pistons in overtime Sunday afternoon, Oct. 8, in the debut of their Big 3 of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Durant.

More: 5 things we learned from Phoenix Suns' preseason opening OT win over Detroit Pistons

The next morning, the Suns made their way to Ishbia’s world.

“Mat simply wanted team members to have a unique experience and show the Suns the incredible workplace culture and camaraderie we have at UWM,” Roberts said.

Upon arrival, the Suns were left nearly speechless seeing the campus.

“It was crazy, man,” Suns forward Chimezie Metu said. “He’s building an empire over there.”

Ishbia has turned what was once a General Motors factory into a sight to behold.

“There was like two main buildings," Suns big Drew Eubanks said. "One of the first ones that we went into was like 600,000 square feet and it was split up into three levels and each level of 200,000 square feet. Then we went across this, like the longest skybridge in the country. We walked across that and it was 900,000 square foot space that was all one floor. So when we were walking through, it was like, desks and computers as far as the eye can see. They just kept going."

Eubanks noticed a Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and mini-mart.

“You could live there if you wanted,” he continued. “If you weren’t getting it done, you could live there and stay there for a whole day. That was probably the craziest thing.”

There’s also an on-site doctor’s office, massage therapist, salon, multiple arcade rooms, customized cafes and conference rooms that include a Suns/Mercury room.

“What he’s built there is impressive,” Suns 7-footer Jusuf Nurkic said.

'Laps on the bridge'

Eubanks isn't kidding about the enclosed pedestrian bridge.

It’s the longest in the country at 1,000 feet.

“Longer than any bridge you go through at an airport,” Suns guard Eric Gordon said.

The bridge has walking escalators like airports do, but Eubanks estimated it took five to 10 minutes to walk from one end to the other.

It gets unbearably cold in the D. Can’t have employees walking through mounds of snow, blistering winds and on sheets of ice to go from one place to another. The bridge is a necessity – and a way to burn calories, too.

“They were saying that a lot of people on their breaks, because they’ve been on the computer all day, they’ll just be doing laps on that bridge just walking back and forth,” Eubanks said with a laugh.

The Suns were in the building surrounded by fans and supporters proudly sporting their gear.

“The overall atmosphere and buzz in the office was incredible,” Roberts said. “Anyone who comes and tours UWM’s campus will see firsthand how special the culture is, and it was exciting to share that with the Phoenix Suns.”

'In the action'

Beal and Metu raved about UWM's gym and locker rooms, but with 7,000 team members, not everyone was going to see the practice.

Roberts said they had a contest to watch it in person.

A total of 250 team members were chosen. Those unable to attend could watch practice live streamed on “100s” of office televisions.

Business first.

“They were working,” Beal said. “Mat don’t play around. He had his people in there working, doing their job. It’s definitely cool to see roughly just 7,000 people at it.”

More: 5 things learned from Phoenix Suns' preseason win over Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers

The 250 UWM team members started making their way into the gym area when the Suns were warming up for practice, said Blake Kolo, UWM chief business officer and head of investor relations.

White was one of the lucky ones as he checked it out from the upper mezzanine level.

“I was right there in the action,” he said. “I supported the tour of the UWM campus for some of the members of the Suns business staff and sponsors and was able to watch practice after the tours concluded.”

There they were. Booker. Durant. Okogie.

Three of White's favorite players practicing where he works.

“I didn’t get the chance to meet them, but having the opportunity to watch them practice, while observing how they carry themselves during practice and lead the team, was a memorable experience,” White said.

'Best days ever'

Then Durant dunked in a drill.

Did everyone get that on their phones?

“It was one of the best days ever for a lot of our UWM team members that were able to see and interact with the Suns team and coaches,” Kolo said.

The Suns were fist bumping with UWM family during practice, laughing and having fun. UWM Chief Policy Officer Laura Lawson recalls the ball going out of bounds and being retrieved by a UWM team member.

Okogie encouraged the team member to shoot the ball – and “playfully” blocked it, she said.

“Moments like that were so fun and memorable,” she said.

Then there was Ishbia, in the center of it, all enjoying every second of his two business worlds coming together on one special Monday afternoon.

“It is not often something like this can work out with everyone's schedule, thus it was really a great opportunity for everyone,” Kolo said.

The Suns received a round of applause at the end of practice as UWM thanked them for coming through before they flew back to Phoenix.

For Lawson, seeing Vogel shake everyone’s hand who attended practice showed how much the Suns enjoyed the experience, too.

“I just hope they got the chance and opportunity to see all the support that they have from the company and all of the support they are getting from UWM,” Tolbert said.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Inside look at Suns' visit to Mat Ishbia's United Wholesale Mortgage campus