The feud with Stephen A Smith and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia might've come to an end on Friday. After Ishbia called out Smith during the Suns end of season availability, it sparked from something the talk show host said earlier in the week.

The First Take host compared Ishbia to former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. The latter was kicked out of the league for his racial comments towards his players.

Ishbia didn't take too kindly to that and expected an apology. Luckily for him, he got one, but maybe not in the way he expected.

“Mat Ishbia is absolutely right,” Smith said. “I do owe him an apology, because I mentioned Donald Sterling. I thought I was making it clear I was talking about basketball, I certainly did not mean to compare him to a person who was thrown out of this league and has been widely recognized as a racist.”

Not making the right basketball moves is one thing. However, it's another thing to be blatantly racist in the workplace. There have been no instances of a toxic work environment with Ishbia as th'e Suns owner.

No matter what, Smith acknowledges his mistake about mentioning Ishbia and Sterling in the same category.

“I should not have mentioned Mat Ishbia’s name in the same breath as Donald Sterling in that regard, I did not mean to do that,” Smith said.

“I wasn’t 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 never giving a damn.”

While it's fine to be critical, it's another to blaspheme someone's name in a category with Sterling. The latter was the prime example of what not to do, in terms of an NBA owner.

Although Ishbia has made his fair share of basketball mistakes, he's made up for it in other ways. During Thursday's availability, he mentioned that he'll take responsibility for what happens on the court.

That was a major talking point during Thursday's talk with the media.

Less than 24 hours later, Smith apologized, but seemed to get the last word in.

“Unfortunately for you, sir, that’s the only thing I’m wrong about, and that’s the only apology you're getting from me,” Smith said.

As the Suns' owner mentioned, he understands being blamed for how the season goes, and he can live with that. Now, hopefully, the chapter on this saga will end, and both men can move on.