Trash-talking between players is part of the customs in the NBA. Addressing leaders in this way is, on the other hand, much rarer. A former hothead admits, however, to having used this kind of language towards a sulphurous owner!
Despite a much more polished framework than in the past, strong exchanges between stars remain relatively frequent on the court. The NBA has certainly tightened its regulations since the ’80s/’90s, but still sees some of its greatest representatives using crude words on the ground. Sometimes even against prestigious spectators of their meetings.
La menace cash de Matt Barnes pour Robert Sarver
At a time when sex scandals are on the rise in the league, Matt Barnes is extremely vocal about them. After having heavy teaser concerning the Ime Udoka affair at the Celticsthe former free electron reacted in an interview for VladTV to the saga linked to the behavior of Suns owner Robert Sarver, condemned by Adam Silver and his deputies:
I heard he sexually harassed both men and women. I wasn’t there, but I was also told that he pulled his pants down several times in front of people and said inappropriate things. Again, I wasn’t there, so I can only rely on what I was told. Me, it’s been 12 years since I left this franchise, but I just knew it was crazy, so I never really liked it.
So many attitudes and gestures which initially earned the manager a large fine and a suspension. Considered unsuitable and insufficient, notably by LeBron James himself, this sanction subsequently led his target to definitively abandon his duties by selling the franchise. Nothing more logical for Barnes, who also remembers dealing with him… during one of his visits to Phoenix as a player:
I was playing against the Suns and I kept talking to a 13-year-old kid and his dad who were sitting on the sidelines. You know me, there was a bit of trash talk in there, but nothing mean. And during a free throw, I heard someone behind me say, “Don’t talk to my fucking fans. I turned around, and saw that it was Sarver. I said, “Dirty asshole, I’m going to fuck you in front of your wife!” »
A scene obviously intervened in front of the eyes of the wife of Sarver, and which ended up convincing Barnes concerning the nature of the businessman. Unsurprisingly, however, his pressure move did not go unpunished:
He reported me, and I got fined $25,000 or $35,000 for it. (…) So in the end, I am very happy to see that things are going as they are currently.
Former employee of Robert Sarver, Matt Barnes did not already appreciate him at the Suns, and even less following his reunion with him. No wonder, therefore, that he rejoices today in the misfortunes encountered by the American multi-millionaire!
