Oh yes, Matt Barnes apparently went there.
During the Los Angeles Clippers’ Game 2 loss to the Houston Rokcets on Wednesday night, Barnes apparently had some not-so-nice-things to say to James Harden’s mom. Here’s the lowdown, per ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins (h/t ProBasketballTalk):
I've been told Matt Barnes talked smack to James Harden's mom during the game.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) May 7, 2015
Apparently some people with the Rockets are not happy about it.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) May 7, 2015
What might he have said, you ask?
Well, Nick Wright of CBS Sports Radio claims to have the answer. I’m hesitant to leave the alleged exchange in this space due to overly explicit content. So, instead, I’ll link you to it here.
None of it’s pretty, or funny, or clean. It’s derogatory and totally out of line. That Barnes could say that to any person, let alone Harden’s mom, is absolutely absurd.
This, of course, assumes he actually said what he apparently said. Again, the possible comments were gross. But this is like a glorified game of telephone we’re playing, so there’s a chance he didn’t let loose like an ill-mannered buffoon.
Still, there seems to be some substance to the notion he trash talked Harden’s mom at all. And that’s an issue in itself, irrespective of what he actually said or didn’t say.
Trash talking is part and parcel of the NBA. Certain players are notorious for it and have built reputations off their ability to pack profanities into a second- or seconds-long dialogue. Former teammates and residential smack-talk experts Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett come to mind here. I believe Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder even said once that Garnett’s words not only rattle you to the core, but make you question your place in basketball and the meaning of life, or something like that.
But it’s one thing to shit talk among players. There’s a line there too, but it’s not as fine. There’s no point in bringing families into it, or directing those mannerisms at anyone else other than the person in question you’re trying to unnerve.
So, in the interest of being good human beings, hope that this didn’t happen. And in the event it did, prepare for some on-court retaliation of some kind in the forthcoming tilts. Chances are it’s coming.
