What to know about the rivalry between Suns' owner Mat Ishbia and Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert
You wouldn't usually think of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns as huge rivals, with the teams rarely facing each other as members of different conferences.
But there is a rivalry between the teams, stemming from the intense, personal rivalry between the owners of the two NBA franchises: the Phoenix Suns' Mat Ishbia and the Cleveland Cavaliers' Dan Gilbert. The two just so happen to also own the two largest mortgage companies in the nation (Ishbia owns United Wholesale Mortgage; Gilbert owns Rocket Mortgage).
And that rivalry has been heating up.
For some context: ESPN chronicled the fiery rivalry between the two owners in a recent story, showing the history between the fierce competitors in the mortgage industry, which reached the NBA when Ishbia became the Suns' majority owner last season (and Gilbert interestingly abstaining from voting).
The rivalry took a new turn earlier this week when an expletive-laden voicemail rant reportedly from Ishbia about his company surpassing Gilbert's was aired on the Pablo Torre Finds Out Podcast (warning: link includes very strong language).
Hunterbrook Media, which appeared on the podcast, later published a story about "the lie that helped make UWM America's largest mortgage lender."
UWM (United Wholesale Mortgage) responded to the story with a statement questioning the validity of the "report."
Interestingly, the Suns and Cavaliers play at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Wednesday night in the next chapter of their rivalry on the court.
Ishbia also interestingly attended the first game of the season series between the two teams in Cleveland (at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse) on March 11, with his Suns earning a 117-111 win.
Social media reacted to the Mat Ishbia vs. Dan Gilbert rivalry with very different thoughts:
Mat Ishbia and Dan Gilbert is the best rivalry in sports that no one knows about. Like, this is “I’m going to piss on his grave” type beef.
— SUPER BOOWWLL 🚽 SUPPPERR BRRROOOWWWNNNS 😒 (@The_1nine) April 3, 2024
Dan Gilbert vs Suns' Mat Ishbia#BrokerBros@KenCarman @SportsBoyTony pic.twitter.com/bBeCAsoeUm
— D (@DannyP2213) April 3, 2024
Wait…they live 15 minutes apart in suburban Detroit and have never crossed paths?! This is a work…
Billionaire mortgage battle: Inside the owner rivalry of Cavs' Dan Gilbert and Suns' Mat Ishbia - ESPN https://t.co/EtSBu7ru2H— Anthony Alford (@AnthonyAlford92) April 2, 2024
Was not expecting an article with beef in the headline featuring Dan Gilbert to end with me feeling like the immature tool was the other guy.
— The Moops (@11sixtyseven) April 2, 2024
MAT ISH 🐐
— EL VALLE 🦁 (@KarlosValle_) April 2, 2024
Suns fan here, but Ishbia comes off like a grade A tool in this article. Similar to when he gave Jokic grief last year.
And how much of the company really was built by daddy?— JR2000 (@JR20000000) April 2, 2024
This one was personal for Mat Ishbia, who was previously approved 29-0 to become the newest NBA governor and owner of the Suns.
The only one to abstain from voting? Cleveland owner, Dan Gilbert.
Great dub for Mat! 🤝
☀️☀️☀️ pic.twitter.com/dSiCqeNkDK— Zachary F. Lewis🕴🏼 (@zachflewis) March 12, 2024
I’m surprised the Cavs allowed Mat Ishbia in the arena tonight. His mortgage-loan rival Dan Gilbert, in a remarkable show of pettiness, was the only NBA owner that didn’t vote in favor of Ishbia’s purchase of the Suns (he abstained), so yeah, wouldn’t put it past him.
— Bob Young (@BobYoungTHI) March 12, 2024
Dan Gilbert and Rocket Mortgage clears Mat Ishbia and United Wholesale Mortgage.
Losing in business.
Losing in the NBA.— Xin Varlock (@XinNBA) March 3, 2024
Here’s what I learned today about the Ishbia/UWM piece today that was on Hunterbrook Media and talked about on Pablo Torre Finds Out.
Always understand where your info is coming from and if there is a potential motive behind it. pic.twitter.com/7Vu59BTyrZ— Espo (@Espo) April 3, 2024
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mat Ishbia vs Dan Gilbert rivalry boils before Suns vs Cavaliers game