Matt Barnes earned quite a reputation for himself over his NBA career as one of the league’s bad boys. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up and get into altercations with other players, which became his calling card in the league.

But as Barnes explains to Melissa Rohlin of the Mercury News, he only developed that bad boy persona in order to survive in the league.

“I wasn’t supposed to make it,” Barnes said. “I was one of those guys that really had to fight to make it in this league. Early on, I really had to do whatever it took, whether it be fight, rough people up, to make the team. I looked at it as it’s either me or them — and it was going to be me.”

Related NewsArticle continues below
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) hugs New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) after the Knicks defeat the Celtics in game six of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Knicks fans take to the streets with NSFW chants
Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defend
Magic Johnson breaks down why the Knicks bested Celtics

Barnes is hardly the most talented player or the most gifted athlete, so he had to find a niche for himself in order to stay in the NBA. He decided that his role would be the irritant tough guy who was fiercely loyal to his teammates, as Draymond Green can attest. It speaks to how well he fulfilled that role that he was able to forge a 14-year career in the league.

But despite the alleged assault charges he faced for an incident at a New York nightclub last year, he assures everyone that his NBA bad guy schtick is far from his true self off the court, which is just a pretty normal guy.