Suns owner Matt Ishbia fires back at Bill Simmons over prediction

Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia took a shot at The Ringer's Bill Simmons on Wednesday.

Ishbia called out Simmons, who predicted the Suns to go under their preseason over/under win total of 31.5, which they surpassed Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

32 wins for the Suns and all before the All-Star break… think that puts us above your season prediction/bet of under 31.5 wins @BillSimmons! 👀 You guys usually have great content and good stuff… thanks for all you do. But also keep your eye on the Suns, like I told you… we…

Simmons responded to the post, initially praising Ishbia for the team's impressive turnaround this season.

"Congratulations on a very good season so far," Simmons said. "I’ve enjoyed watching you guys and think you picked a terrific coach."

Simmons continued, saying he had lofty expectations for Phoenix last season before they became one of the NBA's biggest disappointments.

"For the record — I picked the Suns to win 50+ games last season and never heard a peep from you when you went 36-46. So I was wrong twice," he said.

Ishbia has had an up-and-down relationship with Simmons since buying the Suns in 2023. The two were initially cordial, as Ishbia appeared on an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast shortly after acquiring the team.

But Simmons has been a vocal critic of Ishbia in recent years. He criticized the Kevin Durant trade, which turned into a disaster after the Suns traded away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and four first-round picks for Durant.

Phoenix has turned the corner this season, though. The Suns are 32-22, good for seventh in the Western Conference. First-year head coach Jordan Ott is one of the favorites to win the league's Coach of the Year award, and star guard Devin Booker was named an All-Star.

Maybe Ishbia and Simmons can make amends now that the Suns appear to be heading in the right direction.