PHOENIX — There was another Valley connection during this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Antoinio Gates, gave a special shoutout to Phoenix Suns’ owner Mat Ishbia while he was in attendance during the ceremony.
Aug 2, 2025; Canton, OH, USA; Pro Football Hall of Fame-Class of 2025 enshrinee Antonio Gates gives his acceptance speech at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Why did Gates shout out Ishbia in his speech?
The two have a connection that dates back to when they were both on the Michigan Mustangs AAU team 27 years ago. Gates would later transition into playing football, while Ishbia continued to keep his focus on basketball.
Gates went on to play for the San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles Chargers) as a tight end for 16 years. Ishbia leaned into business and eventually became the owner of the Suns and the Phoenix Mercury.
Feb 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia watches a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Although the two friends eventually went on different paths after their time with the Mustangs, Gates fondly remembers the Suns’ owner and his family during that time in his life.
“I remember growing up in the streets of Detroit and we would use crates and play basketball,” Gates said during his speech. “We would cut the bottom out for hoops and I would play with my boy Gary Morris or Dwight Smith, or my boy Leon Bryan. He would take me to the University of Detroit and we would watch high school basketball at Callahan Hall. Or a friend of mine named Mat Ishbia or his dad, Jeff, would come pick me up and take me to AAU practices. Shoutout to the Michigan Mustangs.”
The moment captured Ishbia with his dad, Jeff, sitting in the crowd as Gates spoke.
Eric Allen gives his Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement speech, Aug. 2, 2025, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. © Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Gates’ speech wasn’t the only speech that connected the event to Arizona, as fellow Hall of Fame inductee Eric Allen also remembered his time at Arizona State in his speech.
hall of famer, antonio gates pic.twitter.com/Ill3G7GeY2
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 2, 2025
Gates’ shoutout to Ishbia was a reminder of how special bonds can be through sports, as well as how intertwined Arizona is in sports history.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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