Stephen A. Smith apologizes to Suns owner Mat Ishbia with a caveat

Stating someone is “on the verge of being recognized as the worst owner” could certainly warrant an apology of some sort.However, Stephen A.Smith believes most of his original statement stands true about Suns owner Mat Ishbia.Smith made the comment earlier this week on “First Take” while also comparing Ishbia to former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, which the Suns boss took issue with on Thursday during an end-of-year press conference.Ishbia also predicted that the ESPN personality would apologize.“Stephen A.

Smith, I don’t take much he says seriously.I don’t think many people do, to be honest with you,” Ishbia said.

“The things he said about Kevin Durant, just wrong and disrespectful.The things he said about LeBron James, just disrespectful and inappropriate.

“With that being said, I don’t really think Stephen A.believes what he said.

I think he’s doing his thing, he’s on the mic and … I think he’ll apologize to me because it’s disrespectful to put my name aligned with anybody that was kicked out of the league or no longer part [of the league].”Sterling received a lifelong ban from the NBA in 2014 following racist comments made to his mistress that she recorded.On Friday, Ishbia’s wishes were granted but not exactly in the way he likely expected.“Mat Ishbia is absolutely right.I do owe him an apology, because I mentioned Donald Sterling,” Smith said.

“I thought I was making it clear I was talking about basketball.I certainly did not mean to compare him to a person that was thrown out of this league and has been widely recognized as a racist.

I should not have mentioned Mat Ishbia’s name in the same breath as Donald Sterling.I did not mean to do that.

I was not talking about that Donald Sterling.“I was talking about the Donald Sterling that would be sitting courtside heckling his own damn players and never winning anything and didn’t give a damn.That’s the Donald Sterling I was talking about.

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