After 15 storied years in the NBA that included multiple trades between teams and an infamous altercation with a former teammate over Gloria Govan, Matt Barnes has announced that he will retire from the sport of basketball to focus on business and spend more time with his children.
Barnes made the announcement via his Instagram account, taking the opportunity to shoot shots at his “haters.”
“Had a cool 15yr run!!” Barnes wrote. “Traveled the world met alota cool people, some will be brothers for the rest of my life! BUT NOW…. You telling me I can dress like this for business meetings & make more money off the court than I made ON?? & spend more time with my kids??!!”
He continued: “Ha... MEEEEE the one that wasn’t suppose to be shit & ended up making it!! Let’s Do it! Love me or HATE ME, I DID IT MY WAY!! 🖕🏽🖕🏽🖕🏽haha.”
You sure did, Matt.
Barnes has not played for any NBA team this season, but he was part of the Golden State Warriors squad that won the NBA championship last season.
Barnes played for UCLA and was the 46th pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Although he was picked by the Memphis Grizzlies, he was immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He spent some time in the American Basketball Association league before finding his footing in the NBA.
Over the course of his 15-year career, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sacramento Kings, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns, the Orlando Magic and the greatest team of all time, the Los Angeles Lakers (don’t @ me, bitches, and please limit your crying in the grays; this shit is not up for debate).
He averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game over his career.
Barnes made headlines in 2015 when he confronted former teammate and then-Knicks coach Derek Fisher at the home Gloria Govan, Barnes’ estranged wife. Their children were in the home at the time, and the confrontation resulted in a physical altercation and many jokes across social media about him driving all night to fight Fisher over his ex-wife.
Last month, Barnes told the San Jose Mercury News that he wanted to shed his bad-boy image and redefine himself.
He currently runs a foundation that helps defray medical costs for cancer patients, and he is working with UCLA to create a scholarship program for kids who have been affected by cancer.
Good luck in all your endeavors, Matt.
DISCUSSION
My favorite quote about Matt Barnes came from a frenemy, “His tattoos are harder than he is.”