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Matt Barnes will not be suiting up for the Memphis Grizzlies’ matchup against the Clippers on Saturday night thanks to a one-game suspension. The ban comes as a result of Barnes’ antics on Thursday night in Milwaukee, when he tried to chase John Henson into the Bucks’ locker room to confront the big man following a dust-up late in the fourth quarter.

After reportedly telling Bucks players on multiple occasions that he’d meet them in the locker room following the game, Barnes had a shot attempt swatted hard by Henson with under a minute left in the fourth. Henson mean-mugged Barnes hilariously after the block, leading to both players subsequently being hit with ejections.

After complaining to officials for a few minutes, Barnes followed through on his promise and ran down the tunnel towards the Milwaukee locker room, where a verbal altercation reportedly ensued.

Here is video of the incident:

It shouldn’t come as a huge shock that Barnes is facing supplemental discipline as a result of his actions, nor should it come as a surprise that Barnes took something personally and decided to go to great lengths to do something about it after the fact. That’s kind of his thing.

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.

USA TODAY Sports

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

USA TODAY Sports

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

YouTube

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)

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Lance Stephenson will play for the Clippers next season after being dealt west for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes. While the “Born Ready” former Pacer struggled mightily in his sole season in Charlotte, he didn’t hesitate to call out his new team for a lack of toughness last year when they squandered a 3-1 lead in the Conference Semifinals to the Rockets.

“I feel like last year they weren’t as tough,” Stephenson told Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. “They needed that guy to get them angry and get everybody mad and get other people scared. I feel like I could add on to that.”

Doc Rivers, the coach and GM who brought Lance aboard, was optimistic about the trade, despite his year in Charlotte. “It’s a risk if you go by one year,” Rivers told Bolch. “But I don’t know if it’s a risk if you go by body of work over his career.”

Stephenson also attempted to explain why he can often come off as a boorish teammate more likely to show up his on-court collaborators rather than take some of the blame for a blown play.

“When I’m on the court, I’ve got that type of energy where it looks like I’m yelling at somebody,” Lance said. “But I feel like when I talk to my teammates, it amps them and makes them work harder.”

We’re not sure what’s more obtuse. The people who claim Stephenson is a HUGE upgrade over Matt Barnes (or even Spencer Hawes, who Doc totally abandoned before throwing him in during the playoffs), or the fact Lance decided to call out his future teammates for a lack of toughness before he’d even suited up for them.

Stephenson shot 17.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc last season. Barnes shot a respectable 36.2 percent before falling off a cliff when the playoffs started. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two last season.

Yes, he had a higher usage than Barnes. The Clippers two-guard was just needed in a 3&D role with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick handling the majority of the offensive load. But let’s not forget just how awful Stephenson was last season.

USA TODAY Sports

It’s worth mentioning Lance was ranked No. 100 (out of 101 shooting guards) in offensive real plus-minus last season. Even worse, he was dead last (No. 101) in WAR (The estimated number of team wins attributable to each player, based on real plus-minus). Barnes, who ESPN listed as a small forward, was ranked No. 15 (out of 86 candidates) in offensive real plus-minus. He was No. 6 at small forward in WAR.

In case you forgot, real plus-minus is a step beyond a player’s regular plus-minus, with surrounding talent taken into account before arriving at a set number. The same could be said for the WAR because it uses real plus-minus to attribute a number of wins to a player.

According to those calculations, Stephenson was the worst shooting guard in the entire Association last year. Barnes, in contrast, was one of the most efficient small forwards. True, the Clippers are a much better team than the Hornets, but that’s why we’re looking at real plus-minus, which takes that divide into account.

Stephenson knows that the Clippers are better, too. Here’s how he reacted when he heard about the trade:

“I was like, ‘What? Are you serious? Like, I’m on the Clippers?’ I was very happy.”

So, why question their toughness? Why did Stephenson lob a grenade into the foxhole he’s about to climb into?

On top of the empirical data denigrating his game, and complimenting Barnes, Stephenson’s belief that the Clippers needed someone to “get everybody mad and get other people scared,” forgets that Barnes is basically the personification of that player.

Matt cursed out James Harden’s mom in the Conference Semifinals, and he’s ebbing closer to a professional on-court troll at this point, but with a better jump shot than Stephenson.

This is a really bad way for Lance to start his tenure in L.A., but if we’re grading on a curve, it’s about par for the course.

(Los Angeles Times)

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The NBA carousel continues to go round and round. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly picked up Matt Barnes from the Charlotte Hornets for veteran guard Luke Ridnour. Barnes landed in Charlotte temporarily after the Clippers shed him to bring in Lance Stephenson.

Barnes is the quintessential Grizzly. He’s a tough, hard-nosed defender who doesn’t mind sacrificing his body to prevent a bucket. But, unlike the Memphis teams of yore, he can actually swish shots from deep at a decent clip. His shooting should provide great value for a Grizzlies squad starving from beyond the arc.

Between Zach Randolph and Barnes, the Grizzlies are guaranteed to get into several kerfuffles with opposing teams next year. If the Grizzlies and Clippers face off in the postseason for the umpteenth time, I’m not sure anyone leaves alive. A rivalry featuring Chris Paul, Lance Stephenson, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph and Matt Barnes should make for great theater.

Memphis is a fitting place for Barnes to end his career as he careens into his late 30s (he turned 35 in March). You can be sure his play will quickly endear him to the Grizzlies fan base.

(ESPN)

Do you need a ringer for an upcoming softball game, but it’s been hard to acquire the services of a Major League Baseball player? We suggest you call a professional athlete from another sport: Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Matt Barnes.

The former defensive ace for the Los Angeles Clippers took part in Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman’s annual softball game at Safeco Field in Seattle over the weekend. It was a star-studded event, as it featured appearances from Russell Wilson, Jamal Crawford, Marshawn Lynch, Zach LaVine, Nick Young, Charissa Thompson, and even Kevin Durant.

There’s no word on exactly what Barnes did to earn the MVP award – it must have been something really impressive, because Lavine drove in Lynch for the game-winning run, and you’d expect a hometown guy to get the honor in a game like this – but it’s certainly a nice accomplishment. If you have more than three hours to kill and want to watch a celebrity softball game, here’s part one and here’s part two.

(via BallIsLife)

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It’s hard not to love Matt Barnes if you’re an NBA blogger, and it’s also pretty easy to hate him. But he’s had his requisite moment lambasting Dwight Howard, and he’s gone over the line with a peer’s parent; Barnes’ sh*t-eating grin in games always makes us laugh, and he’s also had repeated issues going over the line on Twitter. He’s good copy, basically, and he didn’t disappoint in yesterday’s SportsNation appearance.

When asked about Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka, who he’s had a run-in with before, Barnes said, “Me and Serge can fight right now. I just don’t like him.” He said this before adding that Serge is basically a fake tough guy.

Serge took the comments in stride with this laughing response tweet.

When it’s late July and most of the big-name free agents have been scooped up, this is what we’re left with: A new Memphis Grizzlies role player challenging the Oklahoma City Thunder’s defensive force in the middle to a fight.

For the record, Barnes’ hardscrabble upbringing makes him uniquely suited for these sorts of boasts, and he did smartly add during his Ibaka harangue that the NBA would come down hard on him if he threw the first punch. We do know, though, that Ibaka is 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, and Barnes is 6-foot-7 and 225. Actually, imagining a rumble between these two is what we’ve been reduced to in July. We’re due a break next month, but this story already has us wishing for the start of the 2015-16 season.

(@SportsNation)

On Tuesday, Matt Barnes appeared to challenge Serge Ibaka to fisticuffs — on national television no less. Ibaka responded through Twitter with a request for an official UFC fight, but the native Spanish-Congolese big man had more to add when TMZ approached him today.

As he says in the video above, winning a championship comes first, but Serge Ibaka would definitely fight Matt Barnes. The two could make a lot of money if they took their battle to the octagon, but I’m sure Adam Silver wouldn’t be so keen on the pugilistic sideshow. Neither of these guys are going to fight, because they both enjoy their money, but watching Barnes get pummeled by a 6-foot-10 Ibaka would be a sight to behold.

Ibaka probably isn’t the only player in the league willing to fight Matt Barnes. The newly acquired Grizzlies wing has made a name for himself by getting under other players’ skin.

Lastly, the greatest part of this video is Dion Waiters chewing his toothpick with a wry look on his face in the background.

(TMZ Sports)

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Matt Barnes no longer plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Fortunately for the many NBA fans who long for physical, downright nasty play of the 1980s and ’90s, though, the league’s foremost agitator found his way to the Memphis Grizzlies – who just happen to have a rivalry of their own with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Barnes stoked the Grizzlies-Thunder fire earlier last week, offering to fight Serge Ibaka “right now.” OKC’s defensive extraordinaire quickly accepted the invitation, with the caveat that a UFC-style bout would only happen after his team hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

That should have been the end of it, at least until Memphis and Oklahoma City meet on the court in 2015-16. But this is the offseason, when some players just can’t but make waves through the media. From Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, Barnes fanned the flames again during an appearance on The Chris Vernon Show:

Video evidence supports Barnes’ take on interactions between Ibaka and Blake Griffin. But while the first clip is horrifically unsportsmanlike and certainly worthy of immense criticism, the latter seems accidental. Take a look at both incidents for yourself:

Kendrick Perkins clearly pushes Ibaka into Griffin in the second video, right? Then again, it’s not like the Thunder big man deserves benefit of the doubt. He’s definitely earned the “dirty” label.

We’ll never appreciate a war of words like this one. It’s all posturing. Unlike another ridiculous feud between NBA stars, however, at least Barnes and Ibaka’s will have tangible on-court impact going forward. Needless to say, we can’t wait to watch the Grizzlies and Thunder square off come the fall.

[Via DanWoike] [Via FunnyNBAJokes, via G4NBAVideosHD2]

USA TODAY Sports

Matt Barnes is a perfect fit with the Memphis Grizzlies, who he signed with this summer, even if we’re already snoozing at the tired “true grit” refrains surrounding the player and the team. But while Barnes is moving to Memphis, he’s still got a lot of friends back in Los Angeles, including this summer’s free-agency fiasco, DeAndre Jordan.

Barnes and DJ are tight, as anyone who has looked at either’s Instagram knows. Together with Blake Griffin, the three amigos formed a tight-knit group within the Clippers team. But Barnes is so intense, after he signed with the Grizzlies he wanted his old buddy to know he wasn’t going to ease off him just because they’re friends off the court.

By way of the Los Angeles Times, comes Barnes’ jocular threat to his old Clippers teammate:

Matt Barnes recently spent a few days with former Clippers teammate DeAndre Jordan to celebrate Jordan’s 27th birthday, and it wasn’t all backslaps and best-wishes.

Barnes made sure to warn Jordan that things could change between them in the flicker of a cake candle now that Barnes plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

“I told him, ‘Even though we’re good friends, I’m still going to foul the beep out of you when we play,’ ” Barnes recalled Tuesday during his introductory news conference in Memphis. “That’s just the kind of player I am. There’s no hard feelings.”

Barnes seems to have a solid grasp of the line between adversary and ally even when some people who are close to him do not.

“Basically coming from the enemy and now they’re the enemy,” Barnes said of the Clippers, “my kids are a little confused still. I have twin boys and they’re just like, ‘So, Daddy, do you not like DeAndre, Chris [Paul] and Blake [Griffin] no more?’ And I’m like, ‘No, they’re still my friends, it’s just they’re my enemy when the ball goes up.’ “

This is what a role player like Barnes needs to get up for a contest. He might not be as physically gifted as some of his NBA peers, and certainly not on the Clippers, but the intensity is certainly there. Just ask Kobe.

About that birthday mentioned in the L.A. Times article, Barnes posted a message to DJ on Instagram, and reiterated his threat while alluding to DJ’s free-throw struggles, but also his perseverance (they are friends, after all).

 

“Ima foul the shiotouta you when we play yall.. U gonna hv to earn All That $$ from the foul line against us!! Hahaaa”

So now Barnes is gonna foul the sh*t outta his buddy DJ and fight Serge Ibaka. Never change, Matt.

(Via Los Angeles Times; h/t PBT)

At first, we almost felt bad for Matt Barnes. The Memphis Grizzlies wing certainly hasn’t confirmed that he’s dating Rihanna, and even goes so far as to say that she’s only his “friend.” But given the “Bitch Better Have My Money” superstar’s very public reaction to his suggestive remarks, it’s pretty clear that Barnes crossed the line of relationship etiquette in the video above.

Mere hours after TMZ caught up with the 35-year-old veteran, Rihanna took to Instagram to clarify the real state of her relationship with him – or lack thereof.

“This actually hurt my feelings.”

Yikes. And there goes any chance of us empathizing with one of basketball’s most nefarious instigators. In fact, what’s the only thing less likely than the public siding with Barnes here? By the looks of it, his odds of ever actually dating Rihanna.

Needless to say, Barnes is better off sticking to trash talk with NBA peers than trying to cultivate a relationship with music’s most eligible bachelorette. It will be amusing to see how this turn of events effects him on the court in 2015-2016, too. Remember when Khris Humphries was widely mocked by league followers for his failed marriage to Kim Kardashian?

Considering Rihanna’s feelings were hurt by his brazen, wholly inaccurate comments, we’re definitely hoping opposing fans remember Barnes’ misstep next season.

[Via TMZ, via Rihanna]

Getty/USA Today

We all know what the big moves by contenders were this season. The Spurs brought in LaMarcus Aldridge and somehow managed to convince David West to take an $11 million pay cut, while the Rockets traded for Ty Lawson, giving them one of the league’s most frightening backcourts. But what of the the more low-key moves? Let’s look at some under-the-radar offseason transfers and signings by contenders, which could have a surprisingly high impact on how they perform this season.

Matt Barnes – Memphis Grizzlies

After 13 years in the league, Barnes will finally suit up for the team that originally drafted him. It’s hard not to think of a team and a player more made for each other than Barnes and the Grizz. He’s the quintessential tough guy, and the Grizz are quintessentially a tough-guy team. He’s a clear fit for their mentality, and will likely gain a following right away. More importantly, though, he could help the Grizzlies with their floor-spacing woes. He shot a respectable 36.2 percent from deep last season, and 44.4 percent from the field. Within the Grizzlies system, Barnes will likely be a low-usage player, but he can stretch the floor as a small forward or off-guard, allowing Marc and Z-Bo to do more dirty work in the post. Plus, he can augment an already grimy defense, and has no qualms getting in the face of opponents, even if they’re former teammates.

Mo Williams – Cleveland Cavaliers

Hey look, we all had a brief infatuation with Delly during the Finals. His random 20-point outburst in Game 3 and his intense performance on defense won him many fans. But the reality is, his offensive game is severely limited, and as the series went on, the Warriors quickly realized he wasn’t a scoring threat, applying more and more pressure on LeBron, and easily taking the series. It became clear Cleveland sorely needed a backup point guard, especially considering that injuries have been a concern throughout Kyrie Irving’s career. That’s why bringing Mo back to Cleveland was a huge move. As we saw last year, he’s still a capable scorer, averaging 14.2 points a game (his highest total since his last season with LeBron), and stunning everyone with a 52-point performance during his time in Minnesota. Williams will likely play a Sixth man role, similar to the one he played on the 2011-12 Clippers, but if Kyrie misses any time, the Cavs now know they have a capable, experienced point guard to fill in.

Tiago Splitter – Atlanta Hawks

This one really feels like it should’ve gotten more hype. Splitter was one of the pieces the Spurs had to relinquish in order to clear cap space for Aldridge, but it can’t be understated how much this signing means for the Hawks. First off, it’s hard to think of a better center combination in the league than Al Horford and Splitter. Having a player like Splitter, who could probably start for the half the teams in this league, come off the bench, is an enormous luxury. Additionally, he gives the team some much needed Horford insurance. Al has suffered season-ending injuries in the 2011-12 and the 2013-14 seasons, and as great as he is when healthy, there’s always a lingering concern about his body holding up under the rigors of an NBA regular season. Admittedly, Splitter has been bothered by injuries as well, but just having one of these guys healthy gives the Hawks a solid option at center, and if both can stick around, this team could again sneak up on people next season, even after clinching the No. 1 seed last year.

Josh Smith – Los Angeles Clippers

It’s hard to fully comprehend everything that’s happened with Josh Smith over the past few seasons. For years he was a borderline All-Star in Atlanta, and a key contributor on a perennial playoff team. Then, he went to Detroit and the wheels fell off. The Pistons’ poor spacing was a nightmare, with all of Smith’s worst attributes on full display: the casual indifference to transition defense, the poor shot selection and the on-court attitude. The who imbroglio led the Pistons cutting Smith with 2.5 guaranteed years still left on his contract. Smith rebounded by playing surprisingly well with the Rockets. However, the Clippers appear to be a perfect landing spot for him. Their “lob city” aesthetic is the perfect match for Smith’s athleticism, and by relieving Blake Griffin, he’ll help improve last year’s woeful bench.

Jason Thompson – Golden State Warriors

The Kings, Smith’s team for his entire career, traded him to the Sixers in one of the more obvious cap space dumps of the offseason. Of course, for a team like the Sixers, an experienced vet who has already reached his ceiling made no sense, so they sent him to the Warriors where he can be a rotation guy on one of the best teams in the league. With David Lee departing for Boston, Thompson gives the Warriors a solid backup big who can improve the team’s post presence. Thompson has never been a flashy player, but he’ll likely be quietly effective. Plus, after being trapped on the vast wasteland that is the Sacramento Kings, playing for a coach like Steve Kerr could give him a serious boost.

On Sunday, Rihanna lacked no subtlety in confirming her non-relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies’ Matt Barnes. A few follow-ups resurrect the story. The dispute should have ended when Rihanna immediately denied having even met Barnes, who implied they were at least “friends” who were “just past the crush stage.” Now Barnes’ former L.A. Clippers teammate, Glen Davis, backs up his buddy.

Davis sat down with ESPN’s His & Hers to confirm that Barnes truly knows Rihanna. Speaking to Jemele Hill and Michael Smith, Davis insisted, “He REALLY knows her.” The emphasis in those words is all too obvious, but hey. Maybe Barnes met Rihanna at a party, and she doesn’t even remember the guy.

Meanwhile, Barnes is keeping the dream alive. On The Jim Rome Show, Barnes appears to be confused after Rihanna fired back:

“You live and you learn. When you’re in a situation like this and, you know, you just learn. You just got to keep stuff to yourself obviously. But the way I’m putting it right now, I’m too grown to lie, you know what I mean. It is what it is, I’m going to let this blow by like everything else blows by.”

Barnes says he’s “in a situation,” which makes no sense. If he and Rihanna were dating, he should realize that — whatever the situation was — it’s done. If he’s making up nonsense, he should realize there is no situation. Did Barnes feel slighted by Rihanna’s hashtag game?

“I just smiled. I just smiled, that’s it. What can you do? At the end of the day we’re all grown-ups. Like I said I’m too grown to be lying about stuff but life is life … My upbringing just doesn’t allow me to have that kind of stuff in it. Life, sports whatever it is I’m just about the truth. I’m always going to be me, even if you know sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble. I speak on things I feel passionately about. So love me or hate me I’m going to be me regardless.”

Uh-oh. He used the word “passionately,” which either means he’s sending secret signals to Rih in a mutual game, or he’s deluded. Only two people really know the truth of this situation, and their versions don’t jibe at all. What’s truly tragic is how Barnes appears to have soured Rihanna’s taste for Instagram. Ever since she dropped her message to Barnes, Rih hasn’t posted a thing. This is far from her usual routine of posting several photos per day. So, thanks for that, Barnes.

(via TMZ & The Jim Rome Show)

Matt Barnes has had a rather interesting offseason. First he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies from the Los Angeles Clippers where he should fit right in with their rough and tumble style of play. He followed that up by being the MVP of a celebrity softball game, getting into a war of words with Serge Ibaka, and trying to claim he was dating Rihanna.

Perhaps the funniest story to come out of all of Barnes’ headlines in recent memory however, was when his son trolled his dad by wearing a Steph Curry jersey to school while his brother wore his dad’s number.

A few months later and Steph Curry was an NBA Champion and MVP, so while you have to respect Carter Barnes for repping his father, Isaiah Barnes didn’t exactly make a bad choice by choosing to wear his Curry gear.

The Barnes’ brothers and their dad recently ran into none other than the MVP himself on vacation and snapped a picture that Barnes posted to Instagram with the caption:

Boys ran into the MVP!!! You know how excited Isaiah was…#Bay2Cabo

Poor Matt Barnes, he isn’t even his son’s’ favorite player. If Isaiah really wants to take his trolling to the next level, maybe he can sneak this game onto the TV and see how long it takes his dad to notice.

Via: Instagram 

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The Memphis Grizzlies are preparing for another long 82-game season of grit and grind basketball by holding their training camp in Santa Barbara, Calif. During the offseason, they brought in Matt Barnes to provide a little outside shooting while preserving the Grizzly ethos. (Barnes was all about that grit n’ grind life before the moniker was ever bestowed on the Grizz.)

On Saturday afternoon, Barnes’ gritty demeanor was on full display in an off-court incident with Knicks head coach Derek Fisher. The New York Post reports Barnes found out that Fisher was romancing his ex-wife, Gloria Govan, at their former home in Los Angeles.

Barnes responded as only Matt Barnes can:

But when Barnes learned that Fisher was at his former home with Gloria, he drove 95 miles to LA to “beat the s–t” out of Fisher, sources said.

“Derek was in Gloria’s back yard with about 10 people having a bonfire on ​​Saturday,” said a source. “Derek’s separated from his wife and there’s a relationship with [Gloria].”

The source added, “Barnes was in Santa Barbara [at Memphis Grizzlies training camp] and heard that Fisher was in his house. He went crazy. He got in his car and went to the house and went after Fisher.”

Another source said, “Someone told Matt that Fisher was at the house and he drove down there — he went over to confront Derek.”

​A source close to Fisher ​confirmed the fight but said, “Matt came after Derek but he only had a few scratches … Derek’s not going to press charges, he’s going to let it go.”

NBA security is currently looking into the incident between the former Laker teammates, and sources tell Shams Charmania at Yahoo Sports that Barnes had known about Fisher and his estranged wife for “over a month.”

This kind of behavior isn’t atypical for Barnes. He spent the entire summer trading verbal jabs with Serge Ibaka about throwing down, but — so far — nothing has actually happened. He also got into a war of words with Rihanna about their relationship, or lack thereof. If there’s ever a situation with a disgruntled woman or throwing down with someone in a bare knuckle test of machismo, Barnes is probably involved.

Barnes and Fisher are plenty familiar with one another due to their stint together on the Los Angeles Lakers. Th first meeting between Knicks and Grizzlies this season won’t be until Jan. 16, but Barnes’ penchant for jawing with opponents will likely be on full display that evening.

Fisher isn’t commenting on the story so far, but he has spoken to the team.

(New York Post; Yahoo)

After a quiet few months, NBA training camps are starting to fire up around the league as coaches and fans get their first glimpse at newly constructed teams. It only took a few days, but the first juicy off-court storyline reared its head when Matt Barnes took a 95 mile journey to fight Knicks head coach Derek Fisher over his estranged wife Gloria Govan.

The details of the bizarre story are beginning to surface, but before we get a clear picture, Twitter has taken it upon themselves to fill in the gaps with plenty of jokes.  Nothing has inspired such lively tweets and memes since the great DeAndre Jordan debacle in July. Matt Barnes committed an insanely stupid and reactionary act; the NBA is officially back.

https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/651873925744472070

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By now, you’ve heard about the fight involving Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher, two men who claim they were “good friends,” yet brawled because Fisher was allegedly sleeping with Barnes’ ex-wife, Gloria Govan. When the story came out, the details of the story were sketchy, and no one knew what happened outside of a confrontation on Saturday afternoon.

At Thursday’s Grizzlies practice, reporters caught up with Barnes to get his side of the story. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Barnes says he was going to his ex-wife’s home simply to check on the kids. That’s when the fireworks started.

And here’s where it gets ugly: According to TMZ, Barnes saw Fisher at the house and started to swing, striking the Knicks coach “square in the mouth.”

We’re told Derek fought back and “was holding his own” — until several people, including Gloria, rushed in to try to break it up.

But the fighting didn’t stop until one of Matt’s children came into the backyard and begged the men to stop fighting. We’re told that pretty much ended things.

Yeah, that’s about as awful as it gets. Young children had to watch two grown men (one of whom was their father) fight because somebody was allegedly, maybe doing something with their mother. This has years of therapy written all over it. Hard not to feel lots of compassion for these poor kids.

By the way, NBA security says they are aware of the incident, but as of yet have no comment, though it appears an investigation of some sort is in the works.

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Matt Barnes is no stranger to controversy. His fiery temperament is as much a part of his game as his ability to knock down a corner three. And his recent squabble with current Knicks coach and former teammate Derek Fisher is a reminder that trouble follows him off the court as well. An enforcer by nature, he’s a paragon of the grit-n-grind ethos of his new team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and a lot of his prior issues have stemmed directly from protecting teammates against would-be in-game altercations.

That’s another way of saying that he’s fiercely loyal, which is why it’s somewhat surprising that he harbors such resentment toward his former coach Doc Rivers. Via Shaun Powell of NBA.com:

“I can’t wait to play against Doc Rivers,” he emphasizes.

Doc never wanted me. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me. Doc and I never saw eye to eye. He tried to get me out of there the second he got there, so it wasn’t too surprising to me what happened when things went south.

Barnes doesn’t go into any specifics, so it’s difficult to pinpoint any one incident that might have led to his distaste for the Clippers coach and G.M. As far as his trade was concerned, there were plenty of basketball-related reasons that could account for Rivers’ rationale, any of which might’ve superseded whatever interpersonal problems may or may not have existed.

If Rivers was opposed to his volatility, then Lance Stephenson certainly wouldn’t have been an upgrade in that department. But Barnes is 35, and if Rivers can help Stephenson establish some stability and regain the form that made him one of the league’s brightest young players during his Pacers days, then he might secure a key piece in their rotation for years to come.

Los Angeles will miss Barnes’ three-point shooting – better than 36 percent last season – but those numbers took a nosedive during the playoffs (26 percent). Paul Pierce – the latest in a long line of Rivers’ retreads and, incredibly, the presumed starter at small forward – should help mitigate that.

Still, it’ll be fascinating to see how Barnes enacts his latest beef with Rivers when the Grizzlies play the Clippers on November 9. The two teams have historically had a pretty heated rivalry, with Blake Griffin being one of Memphis’ favorite targets, and now his former personal bodyguard is playing for the other team.

(via NBA.com)

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The 2015-16 NBA Season starts soon, preseason hoops are in full swing, and playoff prognostications have begun in earnest. Since season previews can get bogged down by team-specific minutiae, and we cover every basketball team, we’re providing our readers reasons why you should care about all 30 teams in the Association.

DIME MAG’s 2015-16 NBA Season Previews

They re-signed Marc Gasol, and now they’ve got two years left with him, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen, but Mike Conley is a free agent next summer, as are Jeff Green and Courtney Lee. The gritty grind crew won’t be around forever, but the max deal for Gasol, particularly the smooth way it transpired — Gasol and agent Arn Tellem didn’t even talk to other teams and owner Robert Pera flew to Barcelona to hack it out with them — is a testament to how beloved he is in Memphis. Plus, it sounds like Conley will be around for the long haul as well.

This group is family, and Memphis the city is just an extension of that brotherhood.

The cheer the Memphis crowd gave Marc Gasol at the end of Game 6 against the Warriors in the second round was one of our fondest memories from the 2015 NBA Playoffs. They weren’t groveling for him to return, either, but acknowledging his preternatural excellence, which is often hidden from the box score, or even stashed offstage from the ball-watching masses.

But Memphis gets what makes Gasol so special and similarly they love how unique the whole team has become in an NBA riddled with pace-and-space runners. They’re a blue-collar group who seems specifically designed in a laboratory for the playoffs. The pace slows, the possessions take on more importance and everyone’s thrust into the grind. No wonder it’s so hard for opposing teams to get through the grindhouse in the spring. This team will be there again in the spring. Even in a conference that seems to get more difficult every year — the Thunder, Pelicans, Rockets, Clippers and Spurs have all improved — we’ll see them in June, even if no one’s really watching during the regular season.

Is Matt Barnes really the perfect fit?

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What is it about Matt Barnes that seems to make him ideal for these Grizzlies? He’s not even their starting small forward — that would be Jeff Green — and seems like the opposite of the no-drama, no-fuss Grizz squad of season’s past. But the 12-year vet has played for nine different teams, and underneath all that macho bullsh*t lies a guy who will do the dirty work. There’s no other way to explain his existence in the Association.

He found his three-point stroke under Don Nelson in Golden State for the 2007 team that upset the Mavs in the first round, and despite his shooting percentage dipping below 30 percent that next season, he was above 31 percent from then on after never shooting better than 22.7 percent on three-pointers in his first three seasons. The last three seasons in LA, his percentage rose each year until a career high 36.2 percent in 2014-15.

Maybe Doc wanted him gone, but he was key ingredient in LA’s first-round upset of the Spurs. (And it was an upset; we can’t remember many people, besides this a**hole, who predicted a Clippers win.) He’ll be the key for the Grizzlies in April and May of 2016, too, just wait.

Maybe he’ll falter a bit in a new situation, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Barnes thrived, especially with a low-key environment like Memphis, where he won’t get distracted by Rihanna. Maybe it’ll go the other way, though.

Maybe Barnes needs the cauldron of discord to thrive. Maybe his pesky defense, clutch shooting from the corners and grade school psych outs only reveal themselves when heated by the embers of chaos. If that’s the case, perhaps he’ll just chow down on a bunch of BBQ, lose that beanpole figure and fall out of the league.

He stands to make $3.5 million this year before his deal is up, but we think he’ll prove himself invaluable once again, but on a team he should’ve been with all along.

If the injury luck breaks right, they typify a team that can swoop in to take advantage

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The Memphis Grizzlies went 56-26 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2013-14. They won 50 games the following year and lost in the first-round of the playoffs after a hard-fought seven games. Last season, Dave Joerger’s team had the West’s third-best record and fell to the eventual champions in the Conference Semifinals after six injury-riddled contests.

But how close has Memphis actually been to winning a title over the past three years? What would have to happen for Marc Gasol and company to hoist a Larry O’Brien Trophy in June? Could they do it alone? Or would it take broader strokes of direct and indirect fortune than those every champion receives?

The consensus on the Grizzlies in recent seasons has been the latter, and rightfully so. There was a brief time toward the beginning of last year when it appeared Memphis might have taken the next step to a status as first-tier contender. Gasol’s newfound aggression and Conley’s steady improvement led Memphis to a 37-12 record in early February, the third-best mark in basketball behind the utterly dominant Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.

Memphis’ formula certainly suggested that success could be lasting come spring and early summer. It boasted top-nine marks in both offense and defense at the time, and the trade for Jeff Green just a few weeks prior was supposed to alleviate the team’s biggest weakness: a lack of lineup flexibility in the frontcourt.

But the Grizzlies’ longstanding struggles plagued them again down the season’s stretch run, as their solid offensive output suddenly became below-average. They got better on the other end, though, and made quick work of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs before facing the Warriors.

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Amid so much talk of the reigning champions getting “lucky” for avoiding the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs en route to an Oakland parade, how quickly the basketball world has forgotten that Golden State was down 2-1 to Memphis – and lost the series’ ensuing three games as Tony Allen was limited with or sidelined by a hamstring injury. The Warriors, obviously, deserve all credit in the world for winning a title and exploiting The Grindfather’s offensive ineptitude after they fell behind. But the Grizzlies at least warrant more consideration as potential title-winners in 2015-16 for giving Golden State its best fight, right?

We’re not sure. And that’s totally fine! There are only so many teams in the league buoyed by the sense of belief that comes with a transcendent superstar. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden are names for a reason; players of their caliber are exceedingly rare.

But Memphis still boasts one of the most well-rounded rosters in basketball, not to mention the game’s top two-way center and a point guard capable of elite play on both sides of the ball. If things break their way, this team has the ingredients to win a championship – which is far more than the vast majority of franchises in the league are fortunate enough to say.

Is that circumstance ideal? Of course not. But it’s definitely unique, and has the Grizzlies primed to pounce if injury woes befall multiple contenders and the ball bounces their way when it matters most.

Recall earlier this month, when it was reported that Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher got into a massive fight because Fisher is dating Barnes’ ex-wife, Gloria Govan. According to TMZ, when Barnes found out that Govan and Fisher were spending time together, he “he drove 95 miles to LA to ‘beat the s–t’ out of Fisher.” Barnes has since denied that, saying that he was 15 minutes away and he wanted to go check up on his kids, who “seemed uncomfortable.”

It was a strange situation, but thankfully it seems like it’s all in the past and neither Barnes nor Fisher are dwelling on it. But of course, because sports fans like to bring up the personal lives of athletes any chance they can as a form of smack talk, some Indiana Pacers fans decided to use the incident against Barnes.

While he was shooting free throws during Thursday’s game between Indiana and Memphis, a group of fans busted out a “DER-EK FI-SHER” chant. It didn’t sound like the entire stadium was chanting, but it was a large enough group of fans that you could hear it pretty clearly.

This is a pretty low blow by Indiana fans, but it’s probably safe to say that we should have expected this sooner or later this season.

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Do not feel sorry for Dwight Howard. The Rockets seven-footer has made more than $144 million in on-court earnings alone, and — despite his early-career evangelical emphasis on being a good Christian — has four children with multiple women.

He’s also someone prone to a whole bunch of antagonistic behavior from rival fans and players.

Recently, he got into a back-and-forth with a Clippers fan during Saturday’s 109-105 Rockets win in Los Angeles. The fan called him out for not running the floor hard when Dwight was sitting on the scorers table waiting to go in.

My dad courtside at the clippers game part one pic.twitter.com/UuVlNNNwid

— JenniferRies☀ (@Jennnnifeeerrr) November 8, 2015

Eventually, Howard took the bait, and asked him, “You still mad?” before telling him to “Let it go, man.”

My dad courtside at the clippers game part 2 pic.twitter.com/zOWgFQV0k1

— JenniferRies☀ (@Jennnnifeeerrr) November 8, 2015

This isn’t new for Howard; although, maybe he should listen to his own advice and just let more of these things go.

A fan once told him, “Don’t cry.” So, Dwight invited him out on the court like an enraged eighth grader who just got tagged in the head during dodgeball.

But it’s not just fans who get peeved at Howard. His fellow players — especially his fellow stars, players who usually have each other’s backs in today’s buddy-buddy NBA — have no qualms going after him with verbal grenades during games, and some have even instigated physical confrontations despite Howard’s size.

He’s really turned into the No. 1 persona non grata around the NBA.

Who can forget the time Kevin Garnett — then, still in Brooklyn — head-butting Howard after a loose ball foul on a totally innocuous rebound.

That was before Garnett spent five zany minutes circling Dwight on the Barclays Center court, trying to get another go at him.

Then there was Kevin Durant.

KD routinely called Howard out as a pussy while Durant was in street clothes on the Thunder bench last season.

Then, after the game, KD thought he’d deliver his assessment of Howard directly to his face.

That’s how much Howard’s on-court behavior bothered the normally reticent 2014 NBA MVP.

That’s just the beginning, too.

Matt Barnes is next up to the Howard bashing. During last season’s Western Conference Semifinal, Barnes laid it all out for us to see when he visibly told Howard, “F*ck you, b*tch.”

Even Howard’s former teammates — okay, especially Howard’s former teammates — go after him on the court.

Kobe Bryant called him a soft motherf*cker during a game early last season.

And Kobe actually asked Dwight to come after him during the game.

Once the game was over, Kobe called Dwight a teddy bear, which is definitely a pejorative when Kobe uses it.

And Bean added later that playing with Dwight actually made him appreciate Shaq, which is a pretty clear swipe at the big man, considering Kobe’s infamous beef with Shaq Fu.

But the antipathy towards Howard isn’t relegated to just fans and contemporary players. No, after Howard’s exchange of pleasantries with a sidelined Kevin Durant, Hall of Famer Gary Payton came out and said, “I think he’s disliked by a lot of players.”

Are all of these players and fans just overreacting? It’s happening so consistently, it’s more plausible that Dwight is the problem. This is enough evidence for this sort of irascible on-court reaction to be a Dwight Howard trend. He rubs people the wrong way. Do not feel sorry for Dwight Howard; mostly, he brings this on himself.

(B/R)

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Buckle up, because this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Not as long as people keep asking Matt Barnes about it. He’s never seen a beef he didn’t like and never missed an opportunity to throw shade at his various enemies. He was at it again on Monday during media availability as his new team the Memphis Grizzlies prepares to play his former team the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

As if there wasn’t already enough drama surrounding his bitter departure from Los Angeles this summer and his very public distaste for Doc Rivers, someone in the scrum had to go and bring up the Derek Fisher thing again, and as is standard operating procedure for Barnes, he didn’t hold anything back.

First, it’s hysterical to think that the Knicks somehow have the New York Post in their back pocket, given how consistently critical the publication has been of the team. His only quasi-legitimate qualm with the Post has to do with what he said was an erroneous report that he drove 95 miles from where the Grizzlies were holding training camp in Santa Barbara to attack Fisher, who had apparently been dating Barnes’ estranged wife, Gloria Govan, one of the stars of the insipid reality series Basketball Wives.

Barnes insists that he was at his home in Marina del Ray, about a 15-minute drive from the beach house Barnes and Govan purchased together in Redondo Beach. Regardless, Barnes is going to court controversy everywhere he goes, but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out on the court when he faces his former team and new arch-rivals.

Grizzlies’ Matt Barnes hits game-winning three-pointer from half court to beat Pistons pic.twitter.com/RbYpaYxhs0

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 10, 2015

For the second time this week, the Memphis Grizzlies stole a win on a last-second desperation shot. Down 92-90 to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night with time winding down, Matt Barnes grabbed a rebound, darted to half-court, and somewhat rushed the final shot but sunk it anyway to give the Grizzlies the one-point win. There was one second remaining on the clock, but the Pistons were unable to convert on their final attempt. It was the Grizzlies’ first lead since they were up 43-42 in the third quarter.

Barnes had just eight points in the game on 3-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from downtown but grabbed 11 boards and dished out three assists. Zach Randolph led the way in scoring for Memphis with a huge double-double — 21 points and 16 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting — while Marc Gasol added 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a pair of blocks and a steal of 50 percent from the floor.

Andre Drummond had another monster performance for the Pistons as he posted 18 points and 19 rebounds, to go along with two assists and three steals. Reggie Jackson added 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals and Detroit moved to 12-10 on the season.

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Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports is reporting Memphis Grizzlies guard Matt Barnes has been suspended for his offseason scuffle with New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher.

Barnes allegedly went after Fisher at his ex-wife’s house in October, and the Internet had some fun after the reports surfaced despite the immature way he handled the situation.

Barnes later blamed Fisher for running to the cops about the imbroglio.

After the news broke, the NBA started looking into the incident and it seems they’ve reached a conclusion on a punishment.

The 35-year-old Barnes is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat and Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

(Yahoo)

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Matt Barnes had a rough 2015, and he wanted everyone to know it on the eve of 2016. In an Instagram post for the ages, Barnes addresses multiple juicy storylines from a 2015 that saw him leave the Clippers for the Grizzlies in free agency last summer after advancing to the Western Conference Finals with them.

First, though, lets run through all the events he addresses in his lengthy IG caption.

Matt Barnes claimed he was seeing Rihanna, but she said it was a lie. He responded that he’s “too grown to lie.” That last rebuttal was funny to us because as we’ve grown older, we’ve noticed more and more liars of all ages.

He also cursed out James Harden’s mom in last season’s Western Conference Finals against the Rockets. He later apologized, but then later went after Dwight (which is OK, we guess, since everyone does these days).

He signed with the Grizzlies over the summer, but not before throwing his old coach, Doc Rivers, under the bus by saying his old coach “couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

Then came his fight with his former coach and teammate, Derek Fisher, which was awful on a number of different fronts, the worst being the presence of his crying kids as it all went down.

That wasn’t the end of the Fisher brouhaha. Barnes later blamed Fisher for snitching to the NBA and the police about the fight. The scuffle ultimately led to a two-game suspension worth around $64,000.

So, yeah, that’s a crappy year. But how does Barnes explain it all? Well, primarily by blaming everyone else, including Rihanna for lying, Derek Fisher for dating his ex behind his back, and his old team for not wanting him.

We’ve quoted his entire caption below, sic’s and all.

Thank God For 2016!
2015 hands down was the worst year of my life! * *Lost the women I loved,the mother of my kids, my Dogg.. I had to walk away from the only thing I’ve wanted, MY OWN FAMILY! “They call that karma” *To being traded away from a team & city I love! “They call that the business” *Lied on by a pop star
Who’s lucky I stuck to the script & didn’t expose her lien ass
Funny thing about texts & pics is they DONT LIE! “I Guess” “They call that getting played” *Last BUT NOT LEAST… Being stuck in the “triangle offense” w my ex & snitch, I mean former teammate & friend.. Who went behind my back, messed w my ex, got caught, got dealt w for being a snake, then ran & told the Police & NBA.. Instead of taken that ass whoopin like a man & kept it moving….!
WHERE THEY DO THAT AT?
Guess cause I didn’t SNITCH, I get a 2 game suspension by the league “They call that LIFE”

WHEN IT RAINED, IT POURED in 15
All this played out like a bad reality show, a nightmare, for your amusement & entertainment! For you to critique, make fun of, crack jokes & laugh about.. “What I shoulda did” or what “y’all would have done” Hmmmm… I say all this not for sympathy, because I had a hand in all the bad $h!t that happened.. I was never perfect in my relationship, I didn’t see eye to eye w my head coach.. I was warned SEVERAL times about ole girl & I introduced love ones to people who I “thought were FRIENDS”… Lesson Learned!! This is for all of you who had a F@#%ed up year… To let you know I’m right there w you, We In this together! Everyone has ups & downs in this game called LIFE… It gets better…. “I think” Hahaa nah it does, trust me! — -Remember God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers!!!
-Stay positive, hold ya head, tighten your circle & stick to your instincts..
-It’s not about how many times you fall down, it’s about how many times you get up!

Heres to freeing your hands of all the bullshit of 2015 & preparing for the blessing God has in store for us all in 2016!
HAPPY NEW YEAR,
LOVE
#THEBADGUY

Happy New Year, Matt. We think 2016 will go a lot better if you stop blaming others for your own self-made ills. Don’t attack the man your ex is consensually dating, especially not in front your own kids. That level of insecurity isn’t attractive. Don’t throw your old coach under the bus and then lament your change of scenery. Don’t curse out an opposing player’s mom. Don’t kiss and tell if the person you’re kissing is someone who wants to keep it on the down low. These are just basic life lessons from us, that you’re more than welcome to ignore.

But our 2015 wasn’t bad, so maybe we know something.

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Matt Barnes has spent a lifetime filing grievances, but on this particular day, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) filed a grievance on Barnes’ behalf to rescind his two game suspension for his altercation with Derek Fisher. Barnes recently expressed his opinions on the events of that October evening and how they affected his life.

It was an unfortunate altercation that has now cost Barnes two game checks. Barnes has been through the appeals process numerous times in his career, so he knows better than to expect to get his money back.

“I appreciate the support I’ve got from not only my peers throughout the NBA but NFL & from the entertainment world,” Barnes told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “It means a lot that the NBAPA has filed an appeal on my behalf, but I won’t hold my breath. I’ve never had so much as a tech rescinded, I highly doubt I’ll be reimbursed a dime of that suspension money!”

Barnes’ grievance would only be for financial restitution since he already served his two game suspension. The NBPA, headed by Michele Roberts, does a great job fighting for all its players, but this will be a hard battle to win. Barnes’ altercation with Fisher was well documented and the NBA has officially closed their investigation; the New York Knicks’ coach was not disciplined.

Barnes’ case is a long shot, but closed mouths don’t get fed.

(ESPN)

USA TODAY Sports

Don’t expect warm words and tight embraces when Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher cross paths on Saturday night. In fact, don’t expect any words at all, at least from Barnes.

You probably remember one of the most bizarre stories from the NBA offseason when Barnes drove to Derek Fisher’s house to confront the Knicks coach about dating his ex-wife. The two reportedly got in a tussle, and the NBA recently issued a two-game suspension to Barnes as a result. On Saturday, the Knicks play the Grizzlies, which means Fisher and Barnes will be in the same vicinity for the first time since the suspension. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Barnes wants nothing to do with Fisher – at least for now.

But the Grizzlies forward pledged to avoid his enemy during their match up Saturday, if only because he fears the Knicks coach will, to steal Barnes’ buzz word Thursday, “snitch.”

“I don’t talk to snakes,” Barnes told the Daily News.

[…]

“I know I got to keep my mouth shut because then he’ll run and tell,” Barnes said. “So we’re focused on playing that team (the Knicks). And when I’m retired, him and I will cross paths again.”

That doesn’t sound ominous or threatening at all! At least for now, though, both teams (and the league) can rest easy knowing that there won’t be anymore drama between Fisher and Barnes.

(New York Daily News)

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Matt Barnes quite simply refuses to let this whole Derek Fisher saga just die already. He’s already earned a two-game suspension for the vague, physical altercation that ensued between the two last summer over Fisher’s amorphous relationship status with Barnes’ ex-wife. But while the rest of the NBA world has gladly opted to forget about all that nonsense, Barnes and his fragile machismo certainly haven’t.

So when he was once again asked about it prior to the Grizzlies’ home game against the visiting Knicks Saturday night, rather than squash the beef once and for all, Barnes instead decided to brazenly threaten Fisher, saying that the two will “cross paths again” after he retires. It didn’t take long for the league to act, and on Sunday they issued Barnes a $35,000 fine. Here’s more from the official press release, via NBA.com:

Memphis Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes has been fined $35,000 for inappropriate public comments that are detrimental to the best interests of the NBA, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

“Matt Barnes’ comments condoning violence do not reflect who we are as a league or the character of our players,” said VanDeWeghe. “His words are unacceptable and entirely inconsistent with the core principles of this game and the NBA.”

It’s probably too much to hope for that we’ve heard the last of this, especially considering the other bafflingly contradictory statement he gave to that same reporter:

On the one had, the rhetorical agility required for those types of verbal gymnastics is impressive. After he retires, he might consider trading in his brass knuckles for a career in law or politics.

(Via NBA.com)

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The infamous October incident between Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher has hovered over Fisher’s head all season. It was a stain deeply imprinted on Fisher’s reputation around the league, and some opined it was the biggest reason behind his in-season termination. The former Knicks coach never fully addressed the incidents of the night in question with Barnes, hoping to keep the issue a private matter. However, now that he is no longer a coach, Fisher touched on the subject in a personal essay written for Sports Illustrated.

I don’t know what was going through Matt’s mind that day in October when he showed up unannounced at Gloria’s house, and started swinging. I didn’t retaliate. No one who was there did anything but try to get him to calm down, particularly because Matt and Gloria’s children were present. There was no fight.

Fisher also touched on his relationship, or lack thereof,  with Barnes during his time with the Lakers. He claimed they had no relationship off the court and that he had nothing to hide from Barnes about his relationship with Barnes’ ex-wife Gloria Govan. Perhaps Fisher’s most poignant point was in reference to the treatment that Govan was subjected to:

First, I was stunned and disappointed by the way Gloria was treated in the media. After the much publicized (and unfortunate) situation went down in Los Angeles last year, story after story was published that portrayed her as a piece of property, instead of the strong, independent woman and mother she is; someone who is capable of making her own decisions. This is a human being we are talking about, not some pawn in a game.

The Fisher-Barnes incident, while entertaining on its surface, has revealed itself to be no laughing matter. Hopefully, Fisher’s earnest essay will be the conclusion to this unfortunate story.

(SI)

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One of the better parts of the Kobe Bryant farewell tour is the Los Angeles Times reaching out to former players to get stories about playing with him. Sure, watching Bryant hug players and saunter to the locker room after losses is wonderful, but the anecdotes are better.

Matt Barnes was Bryant’s teammate for two seasons and was able to witness his dedication to detail first-hand.

“When I first signed to the Lakers we went overseas and he was over there and he was drawing on a piece of paper and I didn’t know what he was doing,” said Barnes, who played two seasons with the Lakers.

“Something was going on. He was moving up and down and grabbing his face and I went over there and he probably had about 40 different little mini courts drawn on this paper. He was figuring out when teams double and triple team him, where his teammates were going to be open.

“That was kind of one of my first times seeing how deep he is and how involved he is with the game.”

This story paints Bryant as some sort of tortured artist, but don’t the Lakers have a coach? Or someone who shows video of games? He was just sitting alone drawing basketball courts? Is this one of those stories that conveys either madness or genius, depending on the perspective?

The Lakers are 14-52 this season, the second-worst record in the NBA.

(Los Angeles Times)

Now Watch: The Five Most Inexplicable NBA All-Star Nods Of The Last 25 Years

It’s no surprise to see Matt Barnes involved in an on-court mix up – it’s kind of his thing. But after a Flagrant 1 foul was called on John Henson in the 4th quarter of the Bucks game against the Grizzlies, Barnes seemed to take even more exception than usual.

According to Milwaukee announcer Gus Johnson, Barnes warned several times that he’d meet Bucks players in the locker room and he just might have kept his promise. In the final seconds of the game, Henson swatted a Barnes shot attempt into the stands and gave him a stare down complete with a hilarious game face. Barnes was obviously not amused, and after both players were subsequently ejected he sprinted toward the Bucks locker room just as he promised.

Word is he actually did make it into the locker room, and on-site reporters noticed a large scrape on Henson’s face that wasn’t visible during the game.

The Bucks big man didn’t exactly deny a locker room altercation with Barnes during a chat with media members, either.

Only Barnes, Henson, and team personnel know what really happened here. Considering Barnes’ penchant for fighting and more empirical evidence, though, it seems speculation of a post-game fracas might actually be accurate.

Crazy.

(H/T Deadspin)

Now Watch: Gregg Popovich And Tim Duncan Couldn’t Stop Laughing As A Mavs Rookie Taunted The Spurs

USA TODAY Sports

Matt Barnes isn’t exactly the league’s bastion of friendship, togetherness, and overall camaraderie. The Memphis Grizzlies forward’s reputation as one of basketball’s premier antagonists was well earned even before this season, when he’s had highly-publicized and utterly indefensible run ins with New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher and Milwaukee Bucks big man John Henson.

But players rarely interact with teammates the way they do foes, and Barnes is a living example of that reality. He’s beloved by hometown locker rooms and fans alike despite his nasty penchant for making the wrong type of headlines with physical play on the court and pointed words off it.

DeAndre Jordan, for instance, is a player who fully appreciated being teammates with Barnes. Why? Believe it or not, Barnes apparently acted as a calming influence on the Los Angeles Clippers big man.

Jordan is fifth in the league with 10 technical fouls – as much as he’s registered as any other year in his career. Barnes’ eight technical fouls, by the way, rank eighth.

Though the 36 year old is now employed by one of their longtime rivals, the Clippers clearly still love him. Ahead of Los Angeles playing in Memphis on Saturday night, Barnes had some typically jocular interactions with his former teammates.

Basketball, remember, is a brotherhood. And for Jordan, having Barnes in his hoops immediate family apparently meant fewer technical fouls – and more money as a result.

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I suppose we can see this as Matt Barnes‘ proverbial ride off into the sunset. Much-maligned throughout his career for his prickly demeanor and an insatiable penchant for both instigating and promulgating beefs well beyond their natural shelf-life, Barnes made himself a pariah around the NBA for much of his career, while simultaneously endearing himself to his teammates and his team’s fan base.

And after a 14-year career that finally culminated in an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors last season, Barnes has apparently reconciled himself to the fact that it’s time to tackle life beyond basketball. On Monday, he announced his retirement from the NBA via an Instagram post.

In typical Barnes fashion, it ran the gambit from expressing appreciating to the game and the fans who have supported him over the years, to an intractable need to lob a few final verbal hand-grenades at anyone who doubted him or criticized him over the years.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcky1INBXbw/?taken-by=dimemagazine

We wouldn’t have expected anything else. We wish Barnes the best of luck in all his future endeavors. We can only hope that retirement doesn’t offer him so much free time that he gets bored and decides to reignite his long-standing beef with Derek Fisher.

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The McDonald’s All-America team was announced on Tuesday and one very prominent high schooler was missing from the list of names. Shareef O’Neal, the son of Shaq and a four-star Arizona commit, did not make the team. Normally, a snub for a high school All-America game wouldn’t garner much backlash, but when it’s the son of an NBA legend it makes national news.

Shaq, naturally, posted to social media noting his displeasure with his son not being on the team and other current and former NBA players, including LeBron James, also sent messages of support to O’Neal as well as messages condemning the McDonald’s All-American Game.

The backlash from those upset about O’Neal’s snub has led to some positing that they should form their own All-American Game, but the best reaction has come from Matt Barnes, who is taking out his anger on McDonald’s (and, in turn, his twin boys). Barnes posted a message to Instagram saying that he’s going to no longer allow his boys to eat McDonald’s chicken McNuggets due to O’Neal’s absence from the All-American roster.

The #NoMoreNuggets really sends the message home and I hope more than anything that it trends. Barnes’ heart might be in the right place here, but I think this might be some misguided anger. I’m not sure a McNugget boycott is going to have a big impact on the inner workings and voting process of the high school All-America team as much as it will maybe bum out your local McDonald’s and, most of all, your kids.

Also, does this mean he’ll let his kids eat other McDonald’s items since he specifically notes the 6-piece McNuggets and he’s just sending a message with the nuggets, or do his kids only eat nuggets so boycotting those means boycotting McDonald’s. In any case, the sentiment is that he, like so many others, is mad and wants to do anything he can to make sure those running the game know that.

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The Los Angeles Clippers are seemingly going in a different direction and, for all intents and purposes, the focus appears to be on the future at the potential expense of the present. Monday’s trade to send Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons was, of course, the first domino and word spread almost immediately that the team’s front office wasn’t quite done dealing veterans for future assets.

As the entire NBA world (including Griffin himself) was still dissecting the blockbuster trade that seemingly emerged from nowhere, former Clippers forward Matt Barnes weighed in on what transpired. While his reaction concerning Griffin’s ouster was not wholly unique in that many in the industry lamented Los Angeles for signing the All-Star forward to a five-year deal and moving him months later, Barnes dropped an interesting nugget when it comes to head coach Doc Rivers.

In short, he termed Rivers to be “the problem” with everything happening in Clipper-land.

Barnes is not exactly known for his mild manner but, in placing the focus on Rivers, he certainly brings up a lot of interesting points. For starters, Rivers is no longer the leader of the Los Angeles front office and, by proxy, is not directly responsible for the trade. Beyond that, the veteran head coach was dealt a very interesting hand before this season, with Chris Paul fleeing for Houston (admittedly for a relatively strong return) and injury issues for both Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Beverley.

At the end of the day, though, it is definitely news when a former player lobs this kind of shot across the bow at a prominent head coach and that is exactly what Matt Barnes did to Doc Rivers on Monday evening.