You may well have missed it recently, but Phoenix Suns' owner Mat Ishbia gave an interesting and insightful interview to Ryen Russillo on his new podcast over on Barstool Sports.
Ishbia has been true to his word this season in sticking to the shadows and accepting the team will need time to grow and improve, but this conversation did his standing with the fans no harm at all.
Ishbia wants Dillon Brooks to be in Phoenix for life.
It may have been somewhat of a throwaway comment, but during the chat Ishbia responded to Russillo's question of what Dillon Brooks was like by saying that "I know some people don't like him, which is great because he is going to be with us for good". Interesting.
Although he only came to The Valley this offseason, at this point it is also a fair stance to take on the 29-year-old. It has been accepted throughout the league by now that Brooks makes every team he is on better.
That was certainly the case with the Houston Rockets, and while his tenure with the Memphis Grizzlies may have gone sideways at times, they haven't had a player like him since.
Getting ejected against his old foe LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers is just part of the Brooks experience, and much like Draymond Green you live with him towing that line.
He brings an intensity to regular season matchups that most do not, while the difference between how the Suns played when Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were in town compared to now with Brooks is night and day.
Ishbia also delved into that, although he was careful not to take shots at the departed stars. He accepted that a culture had not been created in the past, with stars and veteran head coaches thrown together and told to make it work.
It is different with Brooks because you can see how much he holds his teammates accountable and gets the best out of them. Collin Gillespie is a perfect example of this.
He deserves the credit for having the breakout campaign that he has, but Brooks has been an excellent teammate in taking him under his wing and giving him the "Villain Jr." nickname.
He is making those around him better, and alongside Devin Booker is the perfect foundation for what Ishbia hopes will be brighter days ahead.
The owner spoke about tearing it down with the Phoenix Mercury and getting to the WNBA Finals three years after doing so. He failed to do that with the Suns, but has since changed his approach.
Brooks is integral to what the organization are trying to achieve, and saying he'll be with the franchise for life is a great way to show one of your best players some love and create consistency for the future.