NBC Sports California’s lineup for pregame and postgame shows will see a change as the Sacramento Kings resume play after the All-Star break. Matt Barnes, who has been a familiar face on the network, will no longer be appearing, according to a spokesperson from NBC Sports California. Barnes, a Sacramento native and former NBA player for the Kings, declined to offer a comment when reached out to by The Sacramento Bee.
Matt Barnes, 43, had been serving as a studio analyst for NBC Sports California for three seasons, joining the Kings broadcast team in 2021. This decision comes in the wake of an incident where Barnes was observed confronting officials and engaging in an altercation with a student play-by-play announcer during a high school basketball game in Los Angeles, where his sons were playing.
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
During the game between Crespi Carmelite and Harvard-Westlake, Barnes reportedly exchanged words with the Harvard-Westlake student announcer, Jake Lancer, after one of his sons received a technical foul. Video footage circulated on social media showed Barnes placing his hand on Lancer’s shoulder before other adults intervened. Allegedly, Barnes made threats toward Lancer during the confrontation.
Barnes discussed the incident on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” acknowledging his error in touching the student broadcaster but emphasizing that he felt disrespected by Lancer’s actions. Lancer, however, denied uttering any disrespectful remarks towards Barnes.
A former NBA player for various teams, including the Kings, Barnes retired from professional basketball in 2017. Recently, he has ventured into the realm of production, co-founding All the Smoke Productions (ATSP) with Brian Dailey, a former Showtime Sports programming executive. The company, named after the “All the Smoke” podcast co-hosted by Barnes and Stephen Jackson, aims to involve other NBA figures in its endeavors, such as DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Rachel Nichols
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