Matt Barnes Announces NBA Retirement

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Veteran forward Matt Barnes has announced his retirement from the NBA. The 37-year old announced his decision on Instagram on Monday.

Since last season, he has been playing for the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won the title last year. However, he hasn’t played for them this season.

Barnes played for 9 NBA teams over his 14-year career. Known as a fiery character on and off the court, his coaches used him as an impact player.

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He was often brought on late in games to add a spark. He made the top ten in NBA fouls committed twice.

For the Warriors, he averaged, 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 20 appearances. He was part of the Golden State Team that went 16 – 1 in the playoffs. It was Barnes’ first title for his final team.

His announcement comes as something of a surprise. When he spoke in the offseason, it didn’t appear that retirement was something he was considering. Via the San Francisco Chronicle, he said:

“I feel like I’ve got another year or two in the tank”.

He averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game since being drafted out of UCLA by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002.

Controversy

Over the last few years, he has been involved in a feud with Knicks coach Derek Fisher. Fisher was dating Gloria Govan, Barnes’ ex-wife.

Barnes was involved in an incident in a New York night club which lead him to plead guilty to disorderly conduct in June. Allegedly, he began choking a woman after a fight broke out in the VIP area. His former teammate DeMarcus Cousins has a civil suit against him for the same incident.

Although, Barnes runs a foundation that helps to raise money for cancer patients. He is working with the UCLA to start a scholarship for cancer patients to go to college.