Josh Bartelstein

Josh Bartelstein (born July 17, 1989 ) is an American basketball executive and former college basketball player who is currently the CEO of the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Footprint Center.

Prior to his ascension to his current position, he spent 7 and a half years in various roles for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA.

He played college basketball for Michigan as a walk-on and was a 3x Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

As a 10-year-old in 2000, Bartelstein played for the Highland Park 11-year-old traveling baseball team as a pitcher and attended a skills academy run by former St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguer John Stutz and professional baseball player Pete Dallas.

He also played his first year of organized basketball in the Highwood Small Fry youth basketball 2000 spring season.

Because his father, Mark, was an NBA and NFL sports agent, Bartelstein had the opportunity to fill his bedroom wall with pictures of himself alongside many famous athletes.

The first picture he put on his bedroom of a non-relative was one with Bobby Phills.

The first basketball game that he ever missed was the night he learned of Phills' death in an automobile accident in 2000.

As he grew, he had the opportunity to have workouts with athletes such as Mo Williams, Bobby Simmons and Kirk Hinrich.

In 2002, Bartelstein was one of the leaders of The Highwood Heat of the Highwood Small Fry basketball league.

The team went 7–1 to earn a trip to Orlando for the Small Fry International youth basketball tournament.

A summer 2005 area recruiting guide listed Bartelstein as a player to watch.

As a 5ft 9in sophomore guard, Bartelstein was expected to start for Highland Park High School until he endured an ankle stress fracture that limited his season to 3 games.

He had to have screws put in his ankle.

He returned as a 6ft 1in junior reserve.

He regularly reviewed game film of every high school game with his father, who helped him make acquaintance with several professional athletes, such as Brad Miller and Antoine Walker of the NBA and Kurt Warner of the NFL.

At Highland Park, he was considered one of the leaders of the team (along with Chris Wroblewski).

Bartelstein's steal started a 15–0 run as part of the comeback in the 2007 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class AA regional championship for the four-seeded Highland Park Giants against fifth-seeded John Hersey High School.

As of January of his 2008 senior season, he had NCAA Division III offers from New York University and Emory University as well as promising interest from some NCAA Division I programs such as University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Northwestern and Pepperdine.

As a senior he made two all-tournament teams (Moline and Elgin).

In April 2008, he committed to play for Phillips Exeter Academy.

He finished his senior season with a total of 51 three point shots, a 9.8 scoring average and 3.9 rebounds for a Highland Park team that finished as the 2008 IHSA Class 4A regional champions.

In the regional championship game for number 3 seeded Highland Park, Bartelstein posted 10 points in the 51–50 victory over number eleven seeded Waukegan High School.

The 2008 Highland Park senior class was the first in school history to have back-to-back 20-win seasons.

Because of his "bridge year" commitment, he was eligible to play an additional season of the AAU summer basketball circuit, where he posted multiple 30-point games.

In the fall of 2008, Bartelstein nearly signed Division I scholarship offers with Elon University and then University of San Diego, but he was eventually attracted by the appeal of the Big Ten Conference and Michigan's Ross School of Business.

Michigan Head coach John Beilein had been a walk-on player himself and the 2008–09 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team was co-captained by former walk-ons David Merritt and C.J. Lee who played significant roles.

While averaging 15.5 points per game, Bartelstein set two school records at Phillips Exeter: single-half scoring (21 points vs. New Hampton) and single-season three-pointers (52).

Because he had grown 7 inches late in high school, the extra year gave him a chance to grow into his body and show his potential.

The year marked progress in his "long-range shooting and off-the-dribble game", according to Beilein.

He was recruited by Penn and had walk-on offers from Michigan and Northwestern and claimed 9 Division I scholarship offers.

Bartelstein's Exeter coach, Malcolm Wesselink, confirmed 3 of these D I offers (San Diego, Wagner and Elon).

Bartelstein was connected to Michigan by former Beilein assistant Mike Maker.

He served as captain of the national runner-up 2012–13 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team.

He was a two-year starter at Highland Park High School before spending a post-graduate season playing for Phillips Exeter Academy where he set a couple of school records.

He is the son of NBA and National Football League (NFL) sports agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Entertainment.

Bartelstein is from Highland Park, Illinois in the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area.

He is the son of Mark and Sheri Bartelstein and has three sisters.

He played basketball with a core group of friends from second grade through organized high school basketball.

Bartelstein scored 19 points on 5–6 three point shooting the help Highland Park won its 11th consecutive game during his senior season.