The weirdest story in the NBA in 2015-16 has been the feud between Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher. Basically, Fisher started dating Barnes’ estranged wife, which did not sit well with the 36-year-old Grizzlies forward. The two got into some kind of altercation, and Fisher expanded on the incident in a letter that he wrote for Sports Illustrated.

Fortunately, it seems like this entire incident is behind both guys. Fisher has kept a low profile ever since he was fired by the New York Knicks in February, while Barnes has been playing a ton lately with the various injuries sustained by other members of the Grizzlies. But still, there are probably some people who wanted to see a little more out of this beef other than various anonymous reports that hit the web every few weeks.

Someone decided to do something about this. A YouTube user made Barnes and Fisher on EA Sports’ UFC and had the pair throw hands. Well, “throw hands” isn’t an accurate description of the fight, as Barnes ended up knocking out Fisher in a minute and 15 seconds.

Were these two to ever fight, odds are it would go for more than 75 seconds. It’s probably for the best that we’ll never know whether or not that’s true, though.

(via For The Win)

When the 7-foot-3 Spurs rookie, Boban Marjanovic, reaches for the sky, his fingertips stretch 9 feet, 7 inches above the ground. That means the edge of his nail is merely five inches away from touching an NBA rim. It’s why he barely needs a vertical to dunk.

He also didn’t need a vertical to make Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes have a quick mid-game cackle during Game 2 of San Antonio’s series against Memphis on Tuesday night.

During an end-of-quarter play against the Grizz, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich figured it best to put Marjanovic into the game to guard the inbounds passer, Barnes. And as Boban stood there with his hands up, looking ready to spike just about any conceivable full-court pass back into Barnes’ face Meet the Parents-style, even Barnes couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of a real-life human being standing that large.

Whatever works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/ka3BTbJqod

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 28, 2016

Life has a way of working out sometimes. That’s what happened to Matt Barnes on Sunday night during the Kings-Nets game when he tried to throw an alley-oop to Rudy Gay but instead just lobbed it right into the rim for three points. His reaction was, by far, the best part. Barnes, a grizzled veteran journeyman who’s seen it all during his oftentimes tumultuous career, was completely nonplussed.

The Kings would go on to win 122-105. Barnes finished with seven points, four rebounds, and six assists, while Gay, who was so rudely robbed of a potential highlight-reel dunk, had 22 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Matt Barnes allegedly choked a woman in a New York nightclub and is wanted for questioning by police, according to a report by TMZ.

The Kings lost 106-98 to the Knicks on Sunday afternoon, and it seems Barnes went to blow off steam at Avenue Nightclub. TMZ has video of Barnes leaving the club early Monday morning with teammate DeMarcus Cousins.

Via TMZ:

Law enforcement sources tell us cops got a 911 call to Avenue Nightclub after midnight, reporting a man assaulting 2 women and another man. We’re told things got physical when Barnes allegedly choked one woman during an argument — and when 2 other people tried to intervene … he punched both of them.

In the video, Matt and a teammate — it appears to be DeMarcus Cousins — are talking about the fight. The teammate is clearly heard saying, “Matt hit the s*** out this ni***!”

Barnes and the Kings next game is in Dallas against the Mavericks on Wednesday night, so questioning Barnes or conducting any sort of investigation will probably prove to be difficult if he’s already left New York.

In March 2016 as a member of the Memphis Grizzles, Barnes was suspended one game for trying to get into the Milwaukee Bucks locker room following an on-court skirmish with John Henson, the former host of Talk Soup, the former UNC forward. There was also the whole Derek Fisher thing that resulted in Barnes being slapped with $35,000 worth of fines for threatening Fisher.

But the important thing here is that Barnes is just misunderstood. He doesn’t think violence is the answer to problems and if there is violence, he immediately regrets it.

OK, maybe not. The NYPD may want to stop Barnes before he gets on that plane to Dallas.

(TMZ)

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On Wednesday, Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell filed a lawsuit in federal court, according to USA Today:

In the lawsuit, Besiso alleged Barnes approached her in the VIP area of the club and grabbed her “by the neck and began choking her,” according to the lawsuit. Besiso claims she was then “intentionally elbowed in the face” after Barnes released his grip, knocking her unconscious.

Powell alleged in the lawsuit that when he tried to come to Besiso’s defense, he was punched by Cousins. Powell then claims he was punched and kicked “in the head, torso and lower body” after the two players tackled him to the floor.

Besiso and Powell sustained “serious injuries and to suffer pain, shock and mental anguish” and that the injuries “will be permanent,” attorney Michael Lamonsoff wrote.

The lawsuit is for $75,000, and Barnes took to his Instagram account to let people know there are two sides to every story.

Criminal charges have not been filed against Barnes or Cousins.

This wouldn’t be the first time Barnes has been involved in a violent incident. He once tried to get into an opponent’s locker room to fight someone and also was fined for threatening Derek Fisher.

(USA Today)

Last week, TMZ reported that Matt Barnes – the NBA’s resident misanthrope – had allegedly assaulted a woman in a New York City nightclub after the Kings’ loss against the Knicks on Sunday. According to the report, Barnes choked a woman at Avenue nightclub during an altercation, then punched two other men who tried to intervene.

A few days later, the woman involved, Jasmine Besio, and another man named Myrone Powell filed a federal lawsuit against Barnes and teammate DeMarcus Cousins, who was with Barnes at the time of the incident. Now, Graham Rayman of the New York Daily News is reporting that the NYPD are working to arrest Barnes:

“They’ve got enough to charge Barnes with an assault on a woman,” a police source said. “It will probably be a misdemeanor assault on one of the females who was pushed or choked or sustained some sort of injury. She’s obviously cooperating.”

Barnes has quite the history of violent outbursts. He infamously attacked Derek Fisher at his ex-wife’s home in California two summers ago and was suspended just last season for trying to chase John Henson into the Bucks’ locker room following an on-court incident between the two.

Given Barnes’ reputation, it seems likely the league will take some sort of action, depending on the outcome of the case. This summer, the NBA suspended Darren Collison eight games after he plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge involving his wife.

(New York Daily News)

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Matt Barnes brought up a little history with Derek Fisher on Monday night.

The NBA veteran was more than happy to readdress his infamous feud with Fisher on, of all things, a Bleacher Report Instagram post. The post featured a quote about his current relationship with Gloria Govan, the ex-wife of Barnes.

The quote, which was taken from a wide-ranging interview Fisher gave to the site, was enough for Barnes to comment and remind everyone exactly what happened during this so-called feud: Barnes drove nearly 100 miles and beat the hell out of Fisher.

Instagram

“He sounds real tough on here,” Barnes wrote. “Didn’t sound like that when he was running around my house screaming & pleading!”

Most of the comments that followed were commending or persecuting Barnes for bringing back the past, which is exactly what Fisher was doing here anyway. I don’t think anyone expected the next chapter of this feud to take place in Instagram comments, but apparently that’s where the NBA gets most of its work done these days. The present is a weird place.

Back in 2015, the internet had a field day with the back and forth of this love triangle. Fans were so enthralled with the tale the even had the two hash it out in a UFC video game. But Fisher did not address the incident until he was fired by the Knicks in 2016, though some people think the incident with Barnes played a part in his termination. After he got the axe, he wrote a personal essay about the matter for Sports Illustrated.

Two years later, it looks like Barnes still isn’t over how things shook out. Even if Fisher is “cool” with whatever the rest of us think of his relationship. Does it take two people actively angry to continue a feud? I guess we’re about to find out.

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Kevin Durant exited Golden State’s game in Washington on Tuesday under scary circumstances and the unofficial news isn’t terribly encouraging. In the aftermath of the Warriors announcing that Durant suffered a hyperextended left knee, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical brings word that people inside the organization are not all encouraged by the prognosis.

Durant underwent an MRI late Tuesday night to survey the knee damage, and team officials and members of Durant’s inner circle were expressing fear early Wednesday morning that the severity of Durant’s injury could preclude a return to the Warriors lineup before the start of the Western Conference playoffs in six weeks, league sources told The Vertical.

Here’s the play that caused the injury:

While this is not fully damning with regard to Durant’s future, these kind of whispers are not often met by unexpected reports of optimism after the fact. In addition, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chris Haynes are reporting that the Warriors are set to add enigmatic forward Matt Barnes to the mix, presumably as insurance for Durant’s injury.

Barnes would provide a credible backup option for Golden State while, quite obviously, representing a rather lackluster option considering that the player that he would theoretically replace. In the same breath, it makes a great deal of sense that the Warriors would want to add a battle-tested, defensive-minded forward to the mix, especially when choosing between that option and Jose Calderon.

Confirmation of Durant’s injury will likely surface on Wednesday when full MRI results are available but, if we read the tea leaves, it probably won’t be great news for either the player or the team.

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Kevin Durant’s knee injury, which the Warriors reportedly fear is worse than the original diagnosis of a hyperextension, changes Golden State’s priorities on the buyout market.

Golden statewas going to sign Jose Calderon with their open roster spot in order to bolster their point guard rotation with a quality veteran, but Durant’s injury makes adding a wing the more imperative move. The team will reportedly sign and then waive Calderon, clearing room to sign Matt Barnes, who was released by the Kings to make room for incoming players in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.

While the Warriors still have to go through the process of signing and waiving Calderon before officially adding Barnes to the squad, Barnes pretty much announced the move on his Instagram page with two posts. The first is a picture of him, Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson from their Warriors days with the caption “Wish I could bring you two with me!! … Coming back to where it all started!”

The second one is a screenshot of a text conversation he had with Jackson, where the two are giddy with excitement about Barnes joining the NBA’s best team.

For a guy that’s bounced around the league, playing for nine different franchises, this is something of a golden ticket. Being waived by the Kings made him the best available wing player on the free agent market after the trade deadline passed, and while Durant’s injury, if it will indeed keep him out for a significant amount of time, is a big blow to the Warriors it has created this opportunity for Barnes.

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Matt Barnes’ tenure with the Kings didn’t go especially well, as the mercurial small forward lasted only 54 games with in Sacramento before being released to make room for additions from the DeMarcus Cousins trade. Barnes is no stranger to the darker side of the business of basketball, as he’s played for nine franchises in his 14 years (and three of those franchises twice). Being waived or traded in season isn’t a new concept to him, but the way it all went down in Sacramento still bugs Barnes.

On Friday, Barnes, now with Golden State, will get a chance to play the Kings for the first time since he was waived when the Warriors host Sacramento. Barnes was asked by reporters on Thursday what it will be like playing against his former team, and he didn’t hold back in letting his feelings towards the Kings be known.

“I’m trying to kill ’em,” Barnes said. “Plain and simple. Things didn’t go well there. They’re the enemy know, so we’re trying to kill ’em. Beat ’em by 50.”

Barnes wasn’t happy with the way Sacramento treated DeMarcus Cousins — whose trade led directly to Barnes being released — and told the Sacramento Bee after his release that he was disappointed in the way everything went down with the Kings.

“It was frustrating because being back home and really taking pride in trying to put that team back on the map, and then just in a day’s time you’re no longer a part of the organization,” Barnes said. “So it was kind of a rude awakening.”

Since joining the Warriors, Barnes has averaged 5.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 11 games, playing 19 minutes a game as a key reserve on the wing in Kevin Durant’s absence. So, while Barnes may be frustrated with how things ended with the Kings, he eventually ended up in the best situation possible. That doesn’t seem to change his feelings towards the Sacramento organization, and you can bet he’ll be trying to give them a little extra on Friday night.

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Professional athletes are just like regular people in that their travel preferences are at least partially contingent on what the city has to offer in terms of food and entertainment. But in the NBA, you don’t get to choose your ideal destination. Sometimes you have to go to Utah, for example.

Not that there’s anything wrong with Utah. It’s a lovely place. But if you’re a young millionaire looking for a sultry nightclub scene, you could be forgiven for maybe wanting to go to Los Angeles instead. That’s exactly why the Warriors were pulling for the Clippers in Game 7 on Sunday, and they weren’t afraid to admit it to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com

“No comparison. There’s no such thing, man,” Warriors’ forward Matt Barnes told ESPN. “There’s no nightlife in Utah. Obviously as players, you want to be able to have a little bit of a nightlife, but the main focus is winning games. Me personally, I want to get out there because I want to beat the Clippers. That’s my former team and my kids are out there. But as far as nightlife, there’s no comparison to nightlife in Utah and L.A.”

***

“The problem with Utah is that you’re just sitting there and your mind is like dead, because in L.A., you still got energy for the game,” Andre Iguodala said. “Because you’re in L.A., you’re like, ‘Man, this is just the vibe in L.A.’ but in Utah, it can kind of lull you to sleep. And then you’ve slept too long or I’m bored out of my mind and now you got to try to pump yourself up for the game. You know you’re in the playoffs and you’re supposed to be pumped anyway, but the vibe is just like, ‘Man, let’s just get out of here.'”

On the one hand, it’s truly stunning how brazenly dismissive the Warriors are of their competition, that it never even occurred to them to be concerned about which team they’ll face in the second-round and whether one might be a better match-up than the other on the court. On the other, they are the best team in the league, and you have to do something with the other 21 hours of the day you spend there.

Jazz fans obviously won’t take kindly to this, and we certainly wouldn’t put it past the Warriors for deliberately firing a little passive-aggressive shot across the way just to make things interesting in a series that otherwise lacks conflict. Game 1 tips off on Tuesday night at 10:30 ET on TNT in Oakland.

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Making history, the Golden State Warriors have stormed into the 2017 NBA Finals with an undefeated 12-0 postseason record. The Warriors set that historic record in dominating fashion, winning games with ease and thoroughly outclassing their opponents. And while Golden State has had a three-year reign over the Western Conference and the NBA at large, the Warriors haven’t always been such a postseason force. In fact, the Warriors routinely used to be near the bottom of the league not so long ago. But for a couple of glorious years, the 2007 “We Believe” Warriors changed Golden State’s standing in the league.

Earning the “We Believe” nickname since as the eighth seed the Warriors were matched up against the No. 1 seed Dallas Mavericks, that Golden State team rallied behind that mantra to win their first-round series. The Warriors would go on to lose in the next round, but their playoff series win over the Mavs immediately made that Golden State team revered by the fan base. And even till this day, the “We Believe” Warriors are viewed as one of the best Golden State teams of all-time, even though they only advanced to the second-round.

Warriors forward Matt Barnes, interestingly enough, was on the “We Believe” team and is currently on his second go-around in Golden State. And since he is part of two of the best teams in Golden State’s history, Barnes was asked on Wednesday which team would win in a hypothetical playoff match-up.

“We were real tough,” Barnes said about the “We Believe” Warriors. “I tell people, we had a team full of Draymond Greens. Our mindset was that way. This team is really talented with Steph [Curry], Klay [Thompson], KD [Kevin Durant], Draymond and the bench, so it will definitely go seven games. And I would have to hit the game-winning shot for this team.”

Barnes played it a bit safe with his answer here, but how can you blame him? He clearly has allegiances to both teams, but since this Warriors team is currently playing in the Finals, he is favoring them.

And while Barnes’ recency bias may come into play here, his answer is a fine one especially since this is just a hypothetical and will never actually happen in real life.

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Derek Fisher and girlfriend Gloria Govan were involved in a scary single-car accident over the weekend when their SUV clipped the curb and guardrail and flipped over on the 101 Freeway in the Los Angeles area. Fisher was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, but luckily both he and Govan were pulled from the car without sustaining any serious injuries.

On Thursday, more details came out about the wreck, specifically about the 2015 Cadillac Escalade that Fisher was driving. According to TMZ, the Escalade Fisher flipped is registered to Govan’s ex-husband Matt Barnes, who gave the car to Govan so she would have a vehicle to drive their twins around in.

Fisher and Barnes, former Lakers teammates together, have had their issues in the past regarding Fisher’s relationship with Govan, most notably an alleged altercation that took place at a cook out in which Barnes drove over to confront Fisher. The two haven’t had any more significant incidents since that October 2015 scuffle, but Barnes has prodded Fisher on social media over his relationship with Govan since then.

If the TMZ report is true and the car Fisher flipped was originally bought by Barnes, this certainly won’t help smooth over their already rocky relationship. Barnes has yet to comment on the report or incident in general.

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The origin story of Kevin Durant electing to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in favor of the Golden State Warriors will always be intriguing. A new revelation came to light in the aftermath of Golden State’s title-winning Game 5 victory and it included the words “I’m ready” from Durant to future teammate Draymond Green in a text message.

That comment, as well as a tremendous amount of additional context, emerged from a story by Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.

One such nugget includes another teammate of Durant’s in Matt Barnes, who may have played a role in spurring Durant to his new home with a jab at former teammate Russell Westbrook.

“The only person in the world who can stop you,” Barnes crowed, “is your teammate.” The most effective trash talk, Barnes has discovered in more than a decade of NBA rabble-rousing, is the kind spiked with the smallest shred of truth.

It, of course, is not a wild sentiment to suggest that Westbrook could have held Durant back in some ways, as much of the basketball world shares that view to varying degrees. Still, the nature of this kind of comment from an outsider can be biting and Durant’s pursuit of a more “beautiful game” mentality on the floor with the Warriors flies in sharp contrast to that of the playing style next to Westbrook in Oklahoma City.

Attributing too much credit to one comment from Matt Barnes would be unwise but it does speak to the notion that he might not have been the only one sharing similar sentiments in Durant’s direction. No matter the formula, Kevin Durant bolted for the Bay Area and things went pretty well from there.

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This is what it takes to beat the San Antonio Spurs.

The career-defining performance of a future Hall-of-Famer. A massive triple-double from the game’s most underrated all-court force. 14-of-27 three-point shooting. An injured player’s off-balance layup over a pair of All-League defenders with one second remaining. A fortuitous accidental stoppage by sideline officials during the game’s final possession.

And a whole lot more.

We’ll remember the Los Angeles Clippers’ 111-109 Game 7 victory over the defending champions forever. Perhaps the most well-played first-round matchup in league history somehow culminated in a final contest that outdid the previous six. And while there were a countless amount of players, possessions, calls, and no-calls that made it so and helped decide its dramatic outcome, this game will eventually be known as Chris Paul’s.

Why not?

The Clippers superstar fought through a first quarter hamstring injury to notch 27 points and six assists, capping an already memorable effort with the series-clinching basket as the fourth quarter clock read :01. He scored 22 of those points after returning to the game from a brief locker room hiatus in the second quarter that left his status for the remainder unknown.

Los Angeles officially listed Paul as questionable to return even as he made his way back to the bench through typically determined eyes just over six minutes before halftime. But there was never any doubt upon the 29 year-old’s resurfacing that he would play in pain – Paul is that type of player and this was that type of game.

And though it’s hard to believe as we bask in the glory of his instant impact performance, his potential effectiveness was hardly so ironclad. It was telling when the Clippers moved Paul off the ball for a Jamal Crawford isolation on the initial possession of the former’s return to action, and just as indicative of his limited state when Los Angeles began eagerly switching 1-5 ball-screens and rolled the ball up the floor to delay the shot clock.

Paul would be hobbled, clearly, and a Clippers victory would be more difficult to come by as a result. Or at least that’s how it appeared at the beginning. But then the Point God made it clear he’d be beaten by San Antonio as opposed to a random injury at the worst possible time.

He skipped from the wing across the paint for a difficult fadeaway over Kawhi Leonard late in the second quarter. He opened the second half by splashing a trey off a kick-out. He pulled up for another triple in early transition a few trips later. He grabbed a loose ball and scurried down the floor to bank-in a long three that gave his team a one-point lead as the third quarter buzzer sounded.

Paul drilled another bomb with Tiago Splitter in his face for Los Angeles’ next basket. He made an easy 15-footer from the elbow after posting Patty Mills. And he took a hand-off from Blake Griffin, rejected his teammate’s screen, planted off his fragile left hamstring and willed in the game-winning layup with over the outstretched arms of Danny Green and Tim Duncan with one second left.

USA TODAY Sports

During Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Rockets and Clippers, James Harden had scored 16 points through the first three quarters. But his 16-point eruption in the final session led the Rockets to the win, tying the series at 1-1.

Perhaps an insult uttered by Matt Barnes, facilitated Harden’s final stretch? It’s pure speculation, but after the game TMZ reports Barnes apologized to Harden’s mom, Monja Willis, for a comment he made during the game:

Monja Willis wouldn’t tell us exactly what Barnes said to her at the Toyota Center in Houston during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals … saying, “We’ll leave that on the court.”

What we do know … Matt’s comment really pissed off one of Monja’s other sons — who was sitting next to her during the game and heard it … and confronted Barnes after the final buzzer.

Willis tells us … “My older son walked over to him and told him to apologize … and he did.”

Monja says, “What he told me was that he would never want to disrespect anyone’s mother because his mother passed from cancer … and that he was sorry.”

“I accept his apology.”

Towards the end of the first quarter, a hard foul Barnes laid on Harden led to the pair bumping after the play, which resulted in a technical for Barnes:

YouTube

YouTube

So what did Barnes purportedly say to Harden’s mom during the game? An Austin author and CBS radio host both reported the same thing:

Regardless of whether that’s what Barnes said to Willis, talking junk is part of the game, but directly involving a player’s mom is out of line.

(TMZ)

GIF: Dwight Howard gets this a LOT http://t.co/PpeFIFpIud—
CJ Fogler (@cjzero) May 11, 2015

Dwight Howard doesn’t exactly appear to be the most popular person, certainly not with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Howard picked up two early fouls in the first quarter, and then picked up a technical after arguing with the ref following the second foul. Matt Barnes, ever the instigator, couldn’t help but walk by Howard and let him know his opinion of the Rockets’ center. Let’s just say Barnes doesn’t hold Howard in the highest regard.

(@CJZero)

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We know you’ve got one. Deep down in your subconscious there’s at least one NBA player you can’t stand. Maybe the hatred runs deep — Dwight Howard certainly seems to inspire some entrenched antipathy, as you’ll see. Maybe it’s a more tepid response, a player who just rubs you the wrong way. Maybe this player has led to such murderous rage, you have to knock back a few drinks before you can even think rationally about them. Maybe you hate this player so much, it’s in the player’s best interests to take out a restraining order before things get too dicey.

RELATED: What Is Your Favorite Lawn Game For Memorial Day Weekend?

Regardless of the causes, or the motivations to lead to this feeling, we’ve all got an NBA player we detest. We’re not huge fans of hate here at DIME, but it’s often important to get these sorts of things off our chest. The scribes here at UPROXX have come up with their most hated NBA player, but we want you to add your own, too, for a definitive list of hate.

Andy Isaac – Karl Malone

Most people remember Karl Malone as a prolific scorer, a man who ran the pick ‘n roll to death in Utah. I remember him as a cheap shot artist, a man who tried to end someone’s life during a basketball game in 1991.

That elbow was delivered to the Pistons’ Isiah Thomas, one month after he dropped 44 on the Utah Jazz. Some believe Thomas’ scoring outburst had a lot to do with his snub from the 1992 Dream Team.

Either way, that elbow in today’s game gets somebody five to six games. Back then, Malone got away with a slap on the wrist.

He’s the worst. I’m glad he never won a championship.

Ashley Burns – Dwight Howard

My stupid opinion of Dwight Howard is well-documented, but what’s funny about it is how many times I’ve asked myself, “Isn’t it time to forget him and move on?” and then answered, “Yeah, but…” Look, I don’t care anymore that Dwight left my Magic in shambles as he hissy-fitted his way out of town*. I’ve laughed at the irony of him stomping his feet that he’d never accept a trade to Houston, and I laughed even harder just this morning remembering the time he wouldn’t even consider Golden State. What I still hate about this overgrown child is that he refuses to grow up and become the best of his kind. People want to debate whether Dwight belongs in the HOF (because people love debating pointless topics during the playoffs) and they’re ultimately talking about a guy who farts on teammates, never holds himself accountable, and is more interested in flashing his dong to Mary Carey than learning how to shoot free throws.

One day, he’ll wake up on his giant pile of money, and possibly have a few rings on his fingers, and he’ll realize that he could have been the all-time greatest if he’d just cared a little more. Or he’ll fart and hold a woman’s head under the covers. It’s hard to tell with this guy.

*Although, it really pisses me off that he had Stan Van Gundy fired as a pointless “F*ck you” on his way out, but I still blame Alex Martins for bending over to please a guy who was never staying.

Austin Ngaruiya – Dwyane Wade

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Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. is a plague upon this great nation. His free-throw parade during the 2006 Finals single-handedly ruined my childhood. Not only did Wade flail his way to an NBA title, he had the audacity to besmirch the great Dirk Nowitzki by calling out his leadership abilities. Furthermore, he proved his devilish nature by mimicking Dirk’s cough during the 2011 Finals. Wade’s inclination to plummet like he’s been shot by a sniper after every shot attempt irks me to no end. He’s a phenomenal basketball player with very unsettling habits. He’s like a great pepperoni pizza soiled with pineapples put on top.

Bansky – Paul Pierce

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Maybe it’s his attitude. Or the sh*t-talking. Or the way he just always seems to go after LeBron harder than anybody else. Or it could be the facial hair. Yeah it’s probably the facial hair. Whatever it is, I just can’t stand the guy. Would I want him on my team taking the last shot of the game to save the season? Absolutely. But he’s not on my team, he’s usually shooting against them and ruining their seasons. There’s nobody I hate in sports hate more than The Truth and it’s not even close.

Bill DiFilippo – Dwight Howard

It’s Dwight Howard. I’m an Orlando fan, so nothing brings me more joy than when something bad happens to him. The way he held the franchise hostage for a few years (including getting Stan Van Gundy fired) was terrible, and he’s still hopelessly chasing a title, which is the best. Add in the facts that he carries himself like a spoiled 7-year-old who got a bad gift for Christmas, plus that he has been a professional basketball player for a decade and he’s still morally opposed to ever constructing a consistent low-post game, and I don’t know how anyone — his teammates, Rockets fans, his family, Jesus — could like him.
Also: Any time I need a laugh, I look at this and I smile, then I remember how Steve Nash’s career ended and I get sad. Stupid Dwight Howard.

Brian Sharp – Eddie Robinson

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After giving this much thought, and trying to decide between John Starks and Kenyon Martin, I realized I don’t hate either of those players nearly as much as I hate former Bull Eddie Robinson. As a Bulls fan, I was looking forward to the 2001 off-season, just as all Bulls fan were. The late 1990s were a pitiful time for the team. The Jordan era had ended after 1998, and 2001 marked the first time the team would have the cap space needed to try and contend again. Names like Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, and Tim Duncan were floated to fans from Bulls management as free-agent targets, and we were encouraged to dream big. Of course, both McGrady and Hill ended up signing with Orlando, and Duncan re-signed with San Antonio. So, who did the Bulls end up turning their attention to as their big free-agent signing in 2001? Eddie Robinson. They gave him five years and $28 million, and I’m convinced the only reason they did it was because they had money to burn and nobody to spend it on. Robinson lasted three seasons and only started 34 games out of 246. He was waived with two seasons left on his deal, so he essentially was paid more than $10 million to sit at home and do nothing. Also, the Bulls sucked all three years he was here, and he’s one of the main reasons why. Screw that guy.

Martin Rickman – Anthony Parker

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This is going to sound dumb and everyone’s going to look at me funny for saying it, but my most hated player in the NBA – ever – is Anthony Parker. I know, I know, Anthony Parker worked hard and was a good teammate and did some good things. His story of coming up and biding his time in Europe and finally becoming a productive player in the league is inspiring. I get that. I’m fine with that. None of that has anything to do with why I hated him. He signed (it felt like he was there forever) with the Cavs at the worst possible time. He played way too many minutes. He took way too many shots. He didn’t hit that many of them. He was at the end of his career, so he was limited physically and was out there flailing around. And he represented to me the bottom of that dark, post-LeBron era. I had taken to calling him “The Worst.” I know now it had nothing to do with Parker himself; it was just how I felt about the team I rooted for and the pain I was feeling. I owe him a tray of cupcakes or something. I’m sorry Anthony. If you’ll let me make it up to you, I’ll give you my Netflix password.

Matthew Rothstein – Reggie Miller

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Most hated? Tim Duncan. I just can’t tolerate his flippant attitude for the game, his constant antagonizing of fans, his “me-against-the-world” mindset…

Just kidding around. I’m a Knicks fan whose formative years were the ’90s, so it’s Reggie Miller. It’s gotta be Reggie. It doesn’t help that he’s all over my television every time I watch a damn basketball game. GET OFF MY TELEVISION REGGIE.

Morgan Moriarty – Matt Barnes

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The NBA Player I hate most is Matt Barnes. This was easy. It’s no secret that he’s well-known for constantly being a giant idiot regularly — regardless of what team he’s on. What he said to James Harden’s mom this year is proof. I’m an Orlando Magic fan — yes, sadly I am — and even when he was with them for the 2009-10 season I never could bring myself to enjoy his raw, seemingly uncontrollable temper that usually negatively affected his play. My favorite moment of his in Orlando was when he faked that inbounds pass in Kobe Bryant’s face, though.

Pete Blackburn – Zaza Pachulia

I know that this is a super random pick, but there’s just so many little things about Zaza Pachulia that make me hate him a whole bunch. He’s one of those guys who always makes it a point to get under an opponent’s skin by any means necessary, including cheap, dirty plays. As a Boston guy, the origin of my bitter distaste for Zaza probably started during the Celtics playoff series against the Hawks in 2008, when Zaza and Kevin Garnett routinely went at it. I realize you could say a lot of the same things about KG, but he also happens to be good at basketball. It probably doesn’t help that Pachulia has the face of a Die Hard villain’s henchman and goes by the name Zaza.

With all that said, this was probably my most satisfying moment as a basketball fan.

Via YouTube

The old adage that there’s a fine line between love and hate doesn’t apply here. So which NBA player, past or present, do you hate the most?

(Via MyVideo)

Lance Stephenson (Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports)

The good news is the Los Angeles Clippers are upgrading their wing position. The bad news is their solution is in the form of Charlotte Hornets guard Lance Stephenson.

According to Yahoo, the Clippers and Hornets have agreed to a trade sending Stephenson to the Clippers and Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes to the Hornets.

The trade is an attempt by both teams to remedy free agent busts from last summer.

Stephenson’s first season with the Hornets was an unmitigated disaster. Although a 23-year-old Stephenson led the league in triple-doubles during his final season with the Pacers, he found very few offers on the free agent market last summer. He turned down a five-year, $44 million deal with Indiana and signed a three-year $27 million deal with the Hornets. His play was erratic and he was not the playmaker the Hornets envisioned when they signed him. His statistics declined from the previous year as Charlotte regressed from the playoffs to the lottery, too.

Hawes signed a four-year, $23 million deal with the Clippers last summer. He had a miserable first year for the Clippers as he suffered one of his worst seasons as a pro, averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. His slump continued throughout this year’s playoffs, where he only played in half of the team’s playoff games.

The trade could be big for both teams. Stephenson is still immensely talented and, when he’s right, is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. He could be a significant upgrade on the wings for the Clippers and launch them into the upper-echelon as a championship contender in the western conference. Stephenson represents the biggest gamble Doc Rivers as taken on as the head of the Clippers’ basketball operations. Stephenson’s contract has a team option for the third year, though, so this could essentially prove a one-year tryout for him in Los Angeles.

The Hornets will be getting rid of a troubled player who didn’t mesh with the team, and receiving a solid back up big in Hawes and a respectable wing player in Barnes.

Now the countdown begins to see how long it takes Stephenson to make Chris Paul want to kill him. Hopefully he can hold off at least until the 2015-2016 season begins next fall.

(Yahoo, ESPN)

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The strange trade of Lance Stephenson from the Charlotte Hornets to the Los Angeles Clippers was surprising for many reasons — the timing, the lack of talent in return — but very unsurprising for one: Lance was a terrible fit with the Hornets, which GM Rich Cho confirmed for the Charlotte Observer. Here’s the key quote:

“Sometimes when you make a trade or a signing it just doesn’t work out well,” Cho said in a conference call. “He never fit in great. Sometimes you don’t know how (a player) will fit until he plays for your team.”

Cho specified that he meant in a basketball sense, and he actually praised Stephenson’s attitude about being benched for ineffectiveness, leaving the Hornets’ exit interview disappointingly bereft of shade-throwing. It’s still a step up (down?) from “We wish him all the best,” and as mentioned, it surprised exactly nobody. Any time a team with the Hornets’ combination of raw, young talent and aging veterans trades one of their few peak-age players for a player they’re assumed to be waiving (Matt Barnes) and a big man who couldn’t crack the shallowest rotation this side of the Great Lakes (Spencer Hawes), and who takes on more salary to do it, probably doesn’t think the world of the player they’re trading away.

Now the question becomes, is Lance Stephenson a better fit with the Clippers than he was with the Hornets? We’ll see in November (and we’ll judge it based on Chris Paul histrionics and Blake Griffin blank stares).

(Via Charlotte Observer)