Former NBA player Matt Barnes is criticizing how some media figures have handled the league’s ongoing gambling scandal. On the latest episode of All The Smoke, Barnes called out colleagues in the sports media landscape, including Rachel Nichols and Pablo Torre, for making public claims or insinuations without full information.
Barnes, now a prominent basketball analyst and podcast host, expressed frustration at how quickly some names were being thrown into the public discourse without clear evidence, particularly as the scandal continues to unfold with federal investigations and multiple arrests.
“It’s kind of bothered me how, obviously we’re in the media now,” Barnes said. “Some of our colleagues have jumped out there and, whether they insinuated with the situation with Rachel Nichols where she insinuated, or posed a question. Was Gilbert connected to this? And then later erased that tweet, which I didn't agree with when I initially saw because again, these are people's lives, you know what I mean?”
Barnes acknowledged that Gilbert Arenas’ behavior on social media invited speculation, but emphasized that even that did not warrant what he viewed as irresponsible commentary.
“But I will say Gilbert and his little trolling a– invited it, I felt like this type, and I've kind of been talking to Gil, and that's the one thing I was like bro you got to stop the bulls– because you're opening the door to people to making these type of accusations on you.”
Matt Barnes calls out Pablo Torre after Kevin Garnett's name surfaces in NBA gambling probe
The gambling scandal has rocked the NBA in recent weeks, with names like Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones, and Terry Rozier tied to federal probes. Jones is alleged to have distributed insider information, while Rozier and Billups were arrested as part of a broader DOJ-led operation. As speculation mounted, social media and news outlets quickly became saturated with unverified claims — prompting pushback from several figures, including Barnes.
Barnes also criticized Pablo Torre for publicly naming NBA legend Kevin Garnett in connection with poker games that are now under investigation.
“And then also Pablo Torre. The way he just kind of threw Kevin Garnett out there initially,” Barnes said. “Then Kevin's camp came back to him and told him, ‘Hey, you know, Kevin thought it was something else. Once he found out what it was, he left.’ So, his initial statement got over five million views and his response to something on there, you know, got a couple hundred thousand. So, to me, to go out there and throw someone like Kevin Garnett's name out there without actually having the facts… it comes back to trying to be first and not right.”
Rachel Nichols faces backlash as Gilbert Arenas responds amid NBA gambling scandal
Torre had posted on X, formerly Twitter, last Friday:
“UPDATE: A number of former pro athletes played at private poker games organized by those indicted by the DOJ in ‘Operation Royal Flush.’ One of them — according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of a game that took place in 2019 — was Kevin Garnett.”
Arenas, for his part, responded to Nichols’ now-deleted post on the matter, saying:
“Look, I’m good for all the trolling. That’s cool, but Rachel Nichols is foul.”
Gil calls out Rachel Nichols and SwaggyP for slandering his name 😆 pic.twitter.com/fcpGpc5SUn
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) October 23, 2025
When asked to elaborate, Arenas added:
“She used my video and she actually wrote that I possibly snitched. I’m gonna troll with the best of them but to ask that question… first of all two of them is gambling on the NBA. One is throwing poker games and robbing his friends – ain’t got s– to do with me.”
As the league and federal authorities continue to investigate, members of the U.S. Congress have requested a formal briefing from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver by October 31. The scrutiny surrounding media coverage of the scandal adds another layer of complexity to what is already a far-reaching controversy.
