There’s no real good video of Matt Barnes punching an opponent in a Pro-Am game in San Francisco, but Barnes explains his actions after the game.
“He elbowed me and pushed me, so he got one,” Barnes told ESPN.com college basketball writer Diamond Leung.
“People just think they can talk any way or do anything to … me. You can’t. You can’t do that, ’cause you know people are men out here. So if you think you’re going to come out here and punk someone, that s— ain’t happening.”
Barnes said that he wasn’t the instigator and was just protecting himself.
“That’s part of the game, man. It’s physical,” he said. “You know what I mean? People come out here and think they can beat and push on me. There’s only so much I’m going to take. I’m a grown man first, so if you think you’re going to come out here and rough me up and cheap-shot, I’m not having that s—.”
I wonder what the nature of the “elbow” and “pushing” was to merit a punch to the face. It’s interesting that he’s taking the “I was just defending myself” defense here.
