Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes
Born	March 9, 1980 (age 46); Santa Clara, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player (retired), Basketball commentator
Years active	2002–2017 (NBA career)
Known for	NBA player for 14 seasons, NBA champion (2017), Basketball commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports California

Matt Kelly Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is a retired professional basketball athlete who competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. Selected in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Barnes secured an NBA championship during his final campaign in 2017 with the Golden State Warriors. He currently serves as a basketball commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports California, providing analysis on Sacramento Kings contests.

Early life

Born in Santa Clara, California, Barnes is of mixed heritage with an Italian mother and an African-American father. He attended Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, California, where he distinguished himself as a multi-sport athlete, earning letters in both football and basketball. His performance garnered numerous accolades including All-American, All-State, All-CIF, All-City, and All-League honors across both sports.

Barnes played collegiate basketball for four years at the UCLA, achieving an All-Pacific-10 Honorable Mention distinction in 2001.

Fayetteville Patriots (2002–2003)

After being picked 46th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2002 NBA draft, Barnes was promptly traded alongside Nick Anderson to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Wesley Person. The Cavaliers assigned him to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Fayetteville Patriots, where he competed during the 2002–03 season.

Long Beach Jam (2003–2004)

Barnes signed with the Long Beach Jam of the ABA for their inaugural 2003 campaign, joining forces with veteran player Dennis Rodman. The team concluded the season with a 24–7 record and secured the ABA championship. Barnes contributed significantly by averaging 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Los Angeles Clippers (2004)

During the latter half of the 2003–04 NBA season, Barnes inked a contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sacramento Kings (2004–2005)

In October 2004, Barnes became a member of the Sacramento Kings, making an impactful debut with 17 points and nine rebounds, quickly becoming an essential part of their rotation. Midway through the 2004–05 season, he was traded along with teammate Chris Webber to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson, and Brian Skinner. Due to knee tendinitis, Barnes did not appear in games for Philadelphia that season and was subsequently released under an injury settlement.

New York Knicks (2005)

Barnes joined the New York Knicks as a free agent in October 2005. Despite showing promise during preseason and gaining opportunities following Allan Houston’s retirement, he was waived after participating in six games.

Philadelphia 76ers (2005–2006)

The 76ers reclaimed Barnes for a second tenure, where he completed the remainder of the 2005–06 season.

Golden State Warriors (2006–2008)

Before training camp in October 2006, Barnes signed with the Golden State Warriors, elevating his profile within the league substantially. With forward Mike Dunleavy Jr. sidelined on the bench, head coach Don Nelson increased Barnes’s minutes on court. On December 26, 2006, Barnes matched a franchise record by sinking seven three-point shots in a single game—a mark later surpassed by Jason Richardson, who made eight on March 29, 2007. As a former high-school standout wide receiver, Barnes remarked that without this Warriors contract, he might have pursued a career in professional football.

Prior to joining Golden State, Barnes had only made ten three-pointers throughout his career; during the 2006–07 season, he successfully converted 106. His scoring average rose from 3.0 points per game with Philadelphia to 9.8 points over 76 games with Golden State. In the 2007 playoffs, he maintained strong contributions by averaging 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds across eleven games, aiding the #8-seeded Warriors in their upset over the #1-seeded Mavericks.

On August 6, 2007, Barnes re-signed with Golden State on a one-year contract. Alongside teammates Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis, he was appointed as one of the team captains for the 2007–08 season. However, he was not anticipated to return for the following year’s campaign (2008–09 season).

Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)

Barnes inked a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns on July 22, 2008. On November 14, he was handed a two-game suspension due to his role in an altercation with Houston's Rafer Alston that occurred two days earlier.

Orlando Magic (2009–2010)

On July 23, 2009, Barnes agreed to a two-year contract with the Orlando Magic. Despite having the option to opt out after the initial year, he expressed interest in staying with the team. However, following the Magic's defeat by the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA playoffs, Barnes chose to forgo the remaining year of his contract.

Los Angeles Lakers (2010–2012)

Barnes joined the Los Angeles Lakers by signing on July 23, 2010.

Return to the Clippers (2012–2015)

In September 2012, Barnes returned to the Los Angeles Clippers. On October 31 of that year, he received a one-game suspension after entering a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor charge of resisting a police officer. By June 2013, Barnes earned recognition as the Clippers' Defensive Player of the Year.

Barnes secured a multi-year contract extension with the Clippers on July 10, 2013. Later that November, he was fined $25,000 for not promptly exiting the court following an ejection and for using his Twitter account during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, actions that violated NBA regulations.

Throughout the 2014–15 season, Barnes was subject to several fines: $25,000 on December 13 for kicking a water bottle and using inappropriate language during a contest versus the Washington Wizards; another $25,000 on January 25 for language reportedly directed at a spectator during a game against the Phoenix Suns, although Barnes claimed it was aimed at the Suns' owner; and $50,000 on May 8 for comments made toward James Harden's mother during a playoff matchup with the Houston Rockets.

Memphis Grizzlies (2015–2016)

On June 15, 2015, Barnes was traded alongside Spencer Hawes to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for shooting guard Lance Stephenson. Just ten days later, he was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in return for Luke Ridnour, reuniting him with the franchise that originally selected him in 2002.

On December 28, 2015, Barnes was suspended for two games by the NBA following a physical confrontation with New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher at his estranged wife's residence. The NBA Players Association filed an appeal seeking to overturn this suspension. Subsequently, on January 17, 2016, Barnes was fined $35,000 for publicly justifying his involvement in the incident.

Barnes posted a season-best 25 points on February 24 in a 128–119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Then on March 11, he achieved his first career triple-double by contributing 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists during a 121–114 overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Return to Sacramento (2016–2017)

Barnes signed with his hometown squad, the Sacramento Kings, on July 9, 2016. He was waived on February 20, 2017, to clear roster space for players acquired through the DeMarcus Cousins trade.

Return to Golden State (2017)

After starting forward Kevin Durant suffered an MCL injury, Barnes signed with the Golden State Warriors on March 2, 2017. He started in five of his twenty regular-season appearances. The Warriors captured the 2017 NBA Finals title by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, earning Barnes his first championship ring after fourteen seasons in the NBA. The Warriors completed their playoff run with a remarkable 16–1 record—the highest postseason winning percentage ever recorded in league history.

Retirement

Barnes declared his departure from the NBA on December 11, 2017, sharing the news through Instagram.

Podcasting career

Expanding his footprint beyond basketball, Barnes co-hosts the digital video podcast All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, delving into media and entertainment.

Personal life

Barnes' younger sibling, Jason, competed in the Canadian Football League. He was married to Gloria Govan, recognized from VH1's Basketball Wives and Basketball Wives: LA, and together they have identical twin sons. Barnes encountered legal troubles in 2010 and 2012 involving domestic violence accusations and driving violations. The couple ended their relationship in 2014.

Currently, Barnes and his fiancée Anansa Sims, daughter of model Beverly Johnson, share two children.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Clippers | 38 || 9 || 19.1 || .457 || .154 || .705 || 4.0 || 1.3 || .7 || .1 || 4.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 43 || 9 || 16.6 || .411 || .227 || .603 || 3.1 || 1.3 || .7 || .2 || 3.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 6 || 5 || 15.5 || .367 || .250 || .750 || 4.0 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 4.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 50 || 0 || 10.8 || .536 || .182 || .674 || 1.9 || .4 || .3 || .1 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 76 || 23 || 23.9 || .438 || .366 || .732 || 4.6 || 2.1 || 1.0 || .5 || 9.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 73 || 18 || 19.4 || .423 || .293 || .747 || 4.4 || 1.9 || .7 || .5 || 6.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 77 || 40 || 27.0 || .423 || .343 || .743 || 5.5|| 2.8|| .7|| .3||10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 81||58||25.9||.487||.319||.740||5.5||1.7||.7||.4||8.8 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2"|Career
|929|||359|||23.|6|||.436|||.335|||.745|||4.|6|||1.|8|||.8|||.5|||8.|2

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007 | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 11 || 3 || 30.0 || .450 || .422 || .722 || 5.7 || 2.4 || 1.5 || .4 || 11.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010 | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 14 || 14 || 23.3 || .400 || .375 || .850 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .7 || .2 || 6.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 10 || 0 || 13.1 || .395 || .167 || .571 || 2.8 || .5 || .7 || .2 || 3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 11 || 0 || 16.8 || .271 || .161 || .500 || 3.3 || 1.5 || .9 || .5 || 3.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Clippers | 6 || 0 || 27.0 || .545 || .412 || .842 || 5.0 || .5 || .7 || .3 || 11.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Clippers | 13 || 13 || 31.1 || .421 || .317 || .684 || 4.5 || 1.8 || .9 || .2 || 9.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2015 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Clippers | 14 || 14 || 29.2 || .380 || .267 || .750 || 5.1 || 1.6 || 1.4 || .7|| 7.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2016 | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 4||4|| 34.8|| .348|| .167|| .800|| 7.3|| 2.8||1.0|| .3||10.8 |- | style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;" | 2017† | style="text-align:left;" | Golden State |12||0||5.1||.267||.125||.000||.8||.6||.2||.0||.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career Totals |95||48||22.6||.399||.297||.752||4.1||1.4||.9||.3||6.7

Collegiate Career

|- | style="text-align:left;" |1998–99 | style="text-align:left;" |UCLA |30||8||13.1||.434||.294||.478||2.9||0.8||0.3||0.2||3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;" |1999-00 | style="text-align:left;" |UCLA |28||1||14.8||.471||.156||.488||2..6||1..0||0..7||0..4||5..6 |- | style="text-align:left;" |2000–01 | style="text-align:left;" |UCLA |32||26||30..3||..478||..120||..574|||7..3|||2..7|||1..6|||0..6|||11..6 |- class="sortbottom" |}

External links