00:00Suns Nation, let's talk about something that's been stirring up strong opinions around the league.
00:05Team owner Matt Ishbia made his stance incredibly clear on Thursday regarding the tanking situation
00:10we're seeing across the NBA. He didn't hold back, calling the entire approach, in his words,
00:16ridiculous. So, what sparked this? It all goes back to a pair of fines the league handed out
00:22last week. The Utah Jazz were fined $50,000 for sitting Laurie Markkinen and Jaron Jackson Jr.
00:28for the entire fourth quarter in games against the Magic and the Heat. Even though they were
00:32physically able to play then, the Indiana Pacers were hit with a $100,000 fine for sitting or limiting
00:38the minutes of Pascal Siakam and two other starters. The league viewed this as a clear violation of the
00:43player participation policy. Following those fines, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a warning,
00:50stating that prioritizing a better draft position over actually trying to win undermines the very
00:56foundation of competition. He made it clear, the league is working on additional measures to stop
01:02this kind of conduct. And honestly, when you look at the standings, it makes sense why the league is
01:07concerned. Both the Jazz and the Pacers are currently sitting with six of the worst records in the NBA,
01:13putting them in a prime spot to compete for a top four pick in the 2026 draft. Matt Ishbia took
01:19to
01:19social media to share his thoughts. And his message was direct. He said that while it makes sense for a
01:24bad team to naturally get a good pick, it is completely wrong for teams to intentionally
01:29shut down healthy players just to lose games. He actually went as far as to say, this strategic
01:34losing is worse than any prop bet scandal, because they are, in his view, strategically throwing games.
01:40He emphasized how horrible this is for the fans who pay good money to watch their team compete,
01:45and how unfair it is to the teams who are legitimately fighting for playoff spots.
01:49The bottom line from Ishbia is that those in positions of influence need to speak out,
01:53and the only real strategy should be doing right by the fans, the players, and the entire NBA
01:59community. So, here's what I want to ask you. Do you agree with Matt Ishbia that the league needs to
02:04step in, with even harsher penalties to stop this type of behavior, or do you see tanking as just an
02:10unfortunate but necessary part of building a championship team?
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