In the aftermath of the fight between Golden State Warriors players Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, physical altercations amongst teammates have been a popular topic of conversation for NBA fans, pundits and players alike recently.
There have been countless opinions and conversations on the matter, and one of the most interesting ones came from former NBA player and current media member Matt Barnes.
However, he didn’t get into it with a fellow player in the particular incident. Instead, he had a rather unpleasant confrontation with infamous Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver.
As many NBA fans already know, Sarver is currently embroiled in controversy in which he has been accused of displaying racism, misogyny and more.
“I’m talking with this 13-year-old and his dad,” Barnes recounted during a recent podcast appearance. “We’re back and forth laughing. There’s a free throw being shot, and I hear someone say, ‘Don’t talk to my f—— fans.’ I’m like, no way he’s talking to me.”
He then detailed his spicy response to the mercurial owner.
“I turned around, and it’s him in the corner sitting with his wife, and I said, ‘I’ll come smack the s— out of you right now in front of your wife,’” added Barnes.
Barnes went on to receive a $25,000 fine for the interaction.
As far as fines go, Sarver has far outpaced Barnes. He was fined $10 million by the NBA and given a one-year ban after the NBA concluded its investigation into wrongdoings. After the punishment was handed down, however, a mass outcry began, stating that the punishment was not great enough.
As a result, Sarver himself came out late last month to state that he intends to sell the Suns. It’s obviously an ugly situation that the NBA wants to put behind it.
As for Barnes, he’s obviously more than happy to talk about the courtside conflict he had with Sarver.
It stands to reason at this point that Sarver most likely won’t grace an NBA arena with his presence for a long time, if ever again. It will be interesting to see if he manages to sell the Suns before his current one-year ban ends.
