Matt Barnes (born March 9, 1980) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player who played 14 seasons in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). Barnes was drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA draft by the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. He won an

NBA championship The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...

with the Golden State Warriors in his last season with the league in 2017. He currently is a basketball analyst for

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...

as well as NBC Sports California for

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

games.

Early life

Barnes was born in Santa Clara, California, to a white mother and an African American father. He attended Del Campo High School in

Fair Oaks, California Fair Oaks is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade– Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 32,514 at the 2020 census, up fro ...

, where he was a letterman in football and basketball. He earned All-American, All-State, All-

CIF Cif is a French brand of household cleaning products owned by the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever, known as Jif in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Middle East and the Nordic countries. Cif was launched in France in 1965 and was marketed in competit ...

, All-City, and All-League honors in each sport. Barnes played four seasons of

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

, where he was an All-Pacific-10 Honorable Mention selection in 2001.

Professional career

Fayetteville Patriots (2002–2003)

Barnes was selected with the 46th overall pick by the

in the 2002 NBA draft, and was immediately traded along with Nick Anderson, to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Wesley Person. The Cavaliers assigned him for the

NBA D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA Dev ...

, and he joined the

Fayetteville Patriots The Fayetteville Patriots were an NBA Development League team based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. Its logo design features a bald eagle's head and a basketball in the middle of a capital letter "P" with stars and stripes filling ...

for the 2002–03 season.

Long Beach Jam (2003–2004)

Barnes signed with the Long Beach Jam of the ABA for their inaugural season in 2003, where he played with

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best reboundin ...

. The team went 24–7 and won the ABA Championship. Barnes averaged 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Los Angeles Clippers (2004)

Barnes signed a contract with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

for the second half of the 2003–04 NBA season.

Sacramento Kings (2004–2005)

In October 2004, he signed with the

. He made his debut for the Kings recording 17 points and 9 rebounds, establishing himself as a key rotation player for Sacramento. He was traded halfway through the 2004–05 season along with

Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento Ki ...

to the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for Kenny Thomas,

Corliss Williamson Corliss Mondari Williamson (born December 4, 1973) is an American basketball coach and former basketball player who played for four teams during his 12-year NBA career. He last served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns. His nickname i ...

and Brian Skinner. He did not suit up for Philadelphia that season while recovering from a knee tendinitis, and was given an injury release.

New York Knicks (2005)

Barnes signed a free agent contract with the New York Knicks in October 2005. Although he appeared to secure a starting job with an impressive preseason and Allan Houston's retirement, he was waived by the Knicks after playing just six games.

Philadelphia 76ers (2005–2006)

Barnes was claimed by the 76ers to serve a second stint in Philadelphia, where he finished out the 2005–06 season.

Golden State Warriors (2006–2008)

Barnes signed with the Golden State Warriors before their first day of training camp in October 2006, and effectively raised his status in the league since joining the team. With struggling forward Mike Dunleavy, Jr. placed on the bench, Barnes was given more playing time by coach Don Nelson. On December 26, 2006, he hit seven

three-point field goal A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or trey) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two poi ...

s to tie a Warriors franchise record. The record was broken later that season by

Jason Richardson Jason Anthoney Richardson (born January 20, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Richardson was taken by the Golden State Warriors as the fifth overall pic ...

, who hit 8 three-pointers on March 29, 2007. Barnes, a high-school All-American wide receiver, says that if he had not been signed by the Warriors he would have tried out for the NFL. Before signing with Golden State, Barnes had only made 10 three-pointers in his career. In the 2006–07 season, he made 106. After joining Golden State, Matt's offense improved impressively, from 3 points a game in Philadelphia to 9.8, appearing in 76 games. He also added a strong 2007 post-season, with 11.1 ppg and 5.7 rpg in eleven playoff games and helped the #8 seed Warriors take down the #1 seed Mavericks in the 2007 playoffs. On August 6, 2007, Barnes returned to the Warriors under a one-year contract. Barnes, along with teammates

Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Mi ...

and

Baron Davis Baron Walter Louis Davis (born April 13, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who is a studio analyst for the '' NBA on TNT''. He was a two-time NBA All-Star, made the All-NBA Third Team in 2004, and twice led the NBA in ...

, served as a Warriors team captain for the 2007–08 season. He was not expected to return for the 2008–09 season.

Phoenix Suns (2008–2009)

On July 22, 2008, Barnes signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Suns. On November 14, 2008, Barnes received a two-game suspension for his role in the scuffle with Houston's Rafer Alston two days earlier.

Orlando Magic (2009–2010)

On July 23, 2009, Barnes signed a two-year deal with the Orlando Magic. Although he was able to opt out of his deal after the first year, Barnes stated that he would like to remain in Orlando. After the Magic were eliminated in the 2010 NBA Playoffs by the Boston Celtics, Barnes announced he would opt out of the final year of his contract.

Los Angeles Lakers (2010–2012)

On July 23, 2010, Barnes signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Return to the Clippers (2012–2015)

Barnes signed with the

in September 2012. On October 31, 2012, the NBA suspended Barnes for one game after he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor for resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer. In June 2013, Barnes was named Defensive Player of the Year for the Clippers. On July 10, 2013, Barnes re-signed with the Clippers to a multi-year deal. In November 2013, Barnes was fined $25,000 for not leaving the court in a timely manner after an ejection in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and for using his

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

account during the game in violation of the NBA's rules. During the 2014–15 season, Barnes was fined multiple times. On December 13, he was fined $25,000 for kicking a water bottle and using language during a game against the Washington Wizards. On January 25, 2015 he was fined $25,000 for what was said to be inappropriate language directed towards a fan during a game against the Phoenix Suns, although Barnes said that it was directed towards the Suns' owner. On May 8, he was fined $50,000 for remarks made to

James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...

's mother during a playoff game against the Houston Rockets.

Memphis Grizzlies (2015–2016)

On June 15, 2015, Barnes was traded, along with Spencer Hawes, to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for shooting guard Lance Stephenson. Later that month, on June 25, Barnes was traded again, this time to the

in exchange for

Luke Ridnour Lukas Robin Ridnour (born February 13, 1981) is an American retired professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association (NBA). High school career Ridnour was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and grew up in Blaine, Washington. His fa ...

. The move reunited Barnes with the team that originally drafted him in 2002. On December 28, 2015, Barnes was suspended by the NBA for two games for a physical altercation with New York Knicks coach

Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los A ...

at the home of Barnes' estranged wife in Southern California in October. On January 13, 2016, the NBA Players Association filed a grievance on behalf of Barnes to get his two-game suspension without pay rescinded. Four days later, he was fined $35,000 by the NBA for publicly defending his violence towards Fisher in their October scuffle. On February 24, he scored a season-high 25 points in the Grizzlies' 128–119 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On March 11, he recorded his first career triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 121–114 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Return to Sacramento (2016–2017)

On July 9, 2016, Barnes signed with his hometown

. On February 20, 2017, he was waived by the Kings to make room for the three players the Kings acquired in the

DeMarcus Cousins DeMarcus Amir Cousins (born August 13, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Boogie", he played college basketball for the Kentucky Wil ...

trade.

Return to Golden State (2017)

On March 2, 2017, just twelve days after being released from the Kings, Barnes punctuated his career with an NBA Championship by signing with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors' starting forward,

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...

, went down with a MCL injury, which left the team in need of a replacement forward. Barnes started in 5 games out of his 20 games played with the Warriors in the regular season. The Warriors won the 2017 NBA Championship after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–1 in the NBA Finals, giving Barnes his first championship ring after 14 seasons in the NBA and 16 years in professional basketball. The Warriors finished the playoffs with a 16–1 record, the best postseason winning percentage in NBA history. On December 11, 2017, Barnes announced his retirement from the NBA via a post on Instagram.

Personal life

Barnes' younger brother

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...

played football in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. Barnes was married to Gloria Govan, who appeared in VH1's '' Basketball Wives'' and '' Basketball Wives: LA'', and the couple have identical twin boys. Barnes was arrested in 2010 on suspicion of domestic violence against Govan, and for driving with a suspended license and threatening a police officer in July 2012. They separated in 2014.NBA STAR MATT BARNES SEPARATED FROM GLORIA GOVAN... 'Trust Issues'
/ref>

Career statistics

NBA

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 ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within 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 Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, 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 Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 77 , , 40 , , 27.0 , , .423 , , .343 , , .743 , , 5.5 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .3 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

, 81 , , 58 , , 25.9 , , .487 , , .319 , , .740 , , 5.5 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .4 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, 53 , , 0 , , 19.2 , , .470 , , .318 , , .779 , , 4.3 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .4 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 63 , , 16 , , 22.9 , , .452 , , .333 , , .742 , , 5.5 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .8 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 80 , , 4 , , 25.7 , , .462 , , .342 , , .744 , , 4.6 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 63 , , 40 , , 27.5 , , .438 , , .343 , , .733 , , 4.6 , , 2.0 , , .9 , , .4 , , 9.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 76 , , 74 , , 29.9 , , .444 , , .362 , , .779 , , 4.0 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .7 , , 10.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 76 , , 45 , , 28.8 , , .381 , , .322 , , .804 , , 5.5 , , 2.1 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 54 , , 13 , , 25.3 , , .384 , , .327 , , .758 , , 5.5 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .3 , , 7.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;", Golden State , 20 , , 5 , , 20.5 , , .422 , , .346 , , .870, , 4.6 , , 2.3 , , .6 , , .5 , , 5.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 929 , , 359 , , 23.6 , , .436 , , .335 , , .745 , , 4.6 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .5 , , 8.2

Playoffs

, - , 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;",

, 14 , , 14 , , 23.3 , , .400 , , .375 , , .850 , , 4.7 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .2 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011 , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 13.1 , , .395 , , .167 , , .571 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .7 , , .2 , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 0 , , 16.8 , , .271 , , .161 , , .500 , , 3.3 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .5 , , 3.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, 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 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, 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 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 34.8 , , .348 , , .167 , , .800 , , 7.3 , , 2.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

† , 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 , 95 , , 48 , , 22.6 , , .399 , , .297 , , .752 , , 4.1 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .3 , , 6.7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1998–99 , style="text-align:left;",

, 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;",

, 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;",

, 32 , , 26 , , 30.3 , , .478 , , .120 , , .574 , , 7.3 , , 2.7 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2001–02 , style="text-align:left;",

, 31 , , 31 , , 30.7 , , .471 , , .417 , , .619 , , 6.2 , , 3.5 , , 1.1 , , 0.3 , , 13.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 121 , , 66 , , 22.6 , , .469 , , .314 , , .566 , , 4.8 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.4 , , 8.8

References

External links

NBA biography
*
Yo, I'm Matt Barnes, 14-year NBA vet and World Champion, and I want to talk about cannabis in sports. AMA.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, Matt 1980 births Living people African-American basketball players Basketball players from California Fayetteville Patriots players Golden State Warriors players Long Beach Jam players Los Angeles Clippers players Los Angeles Lakers players Memphis Grizzlies draft picks Memphis Grizzlies players New York Knicks players Orlando Magic players People from Fair Oaks, California Philadelphia 76ers players Phoenix Suns players Sacramento Kings players Small forwards Sportspeople from Santa Clara, California UCLA Bruins men's basketball players American men's basketball players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people