Former NBA veteran Matt Barnes opened up about his 2015 altercation with longtime NBA player and former New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher during an interview with Vlad TV.
Barnes explained that Fisher never had any interest an a physical confrontation, and he detailed a complicated sequence of events that eventually resulted in word getting back to Phil Jackson.
Unreal. Matt Barnes speaks about the fight with Derek.
Fish, as the NYK coach ditched practice to stay with Gloria in Matt's house and his kids. Phil Jackson was in Hawaii & thought Fisher was in training camp with the Knicks, didn't know why he was in L.A when they fought. pic.twitter.com/xYLNvRPUS6
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) November 3, 2019
Barnes said Fish was screaming the entire time, wanting to talk things out. pic.twitter.com/fRXQQjYUHv
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) November 3, 2019
As the story goes, Matt Barnes received word (reportedly from his sons) that Derek Fisher was romantically involved with his ex-wife, Gloria, and had spent a day at Barnes' home in Los Angeles after skipping a scheduled Knicks practice. Barnes left training camp in California to confront Fisher, and the situation escalated before the police eventually arrived.
Barnes and Fisher had been teammates with the Lakers for two seasons, but that bond went out the window during this dispute, where Barnes explained that he got the best of Fisher.
Per Ian Mohr of the New York Post:
Following the dustup, Barnes, 35, texted a pal that he had not only assaulted Fisher, 41, but also took revenge on Govan, one source said.
“I kicked his ass from the back yard to the front room, and spit in her face,” the text read, according to the source.
Fisher has had very little to say with respect to the incident. Things only got worse for the former champion. The Knicks went 17-65 in Fisher's first year, and he was fired after a 23-31 start to the 2015-16 season.
Conversely, Barnes has always been one to speak his mind, in case this interview did not make that clear.
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