Matt Barnes attended his son’s high school basketball game and made himself a story by allegedly jawing with the refs and a student announcer.
The Harvard-Westlake Wolverines and Crespi Carmelite Celts high school basketball teams played against each other over the weekend, featuring a lot of NBA connections. One of those connections was Barnes, whose son plays for Crespi, coached by Derek Fisher.
During the game, a video of Barnes with his hand on the shoulder of a student play-by-play voice surfaced on social media without much context. The Los Angeles Times later wrote about the high school basketball game and included a note about Barnes, writing he “started engaging student announcer Jake Lancer during the school’s live stream broadcast by putting his hands on Lancer to get his attention, briefly delaying the game.” The blurb caught Bill Simmons’ attention, who questioned why this didn’t turn into a bigger story.
Kinda thought this would become a bigger story. https://t.co/jr52xa30FV pic.twitter.com/bpN6vusR8w
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) February 3, 2024
Below are some clips from the broadcast, where Lancer tells the audience about Barnes, who was a spectator, berating the refs and getting called for a technical foul. Lancer then adds, “Matt Barnes kinda came up to and just put his hands on me actually. So, I mean I’m all good. But. It’s kind of I don’t know.”
This is blatant disinformation. Jake Lancer is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with in broadcast or journalism. He did not say “shut up.” Here are videos of what he said immediately before and after the altercation. @Tarek_Fattal @latsondheimer https://t.co/QXwlfP0cOU pic.twitter.com/OUSedsNEEX
— Julian Andreone (@JulianAndreone) February 3, 2024
After the game, freelance prep basketball writer Jack Pollon tweeted a quote from Lancer, where the student announcer offered more details on what Barnes said to him when he walked over and put a hand on his shoulder.
“This guy was on the court mid-game multiple times screaming ridiculous stuff at the refs and everyone, including myself was looking at him,” Lancer said via Pollon. “We made eye contact and that was enough for him to come up to me and grip my shoulder with his hand.
“He said, ‘What do you think you’re looking at?’ And I said, ‘You’re screaming, “You’re a (term for a female private part)” to the refs mid game while I’m trying to announce, don’t touch me.’ And then he said ‘I’ll slap the s*** out of you,’” Lancer said.
Just got my hands put on at a high school basketball game! Not ok! https://t.co/u05NreP06I
— Jake Lancer (@jakelancer_) February 3, 2024
Barnes later tweeted that he was only talking to the ref during the game, not “that kid that decided to say some slick s**t,” presumably referring to Lancer. The video, however, makes it clear that there was an interaction between Barnes and Lancer on the sideline. And most of the context that has since been provided about that interaction depicts Barnes attempting to intimidate the student broadcaster, which if true, is obviously something the school and basketball program should not tolerate.
Shut ur ass up. I was talking to the ref not you or that kid that decided to say some slick shit. Don’t let that privileged HW shit go to your head. Idgaf who your son is
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) February 3, 2024
