The infamous altercation between former teammates Derek Fisher and Matt Barnes is still discussed by many to this very day. Virtually everyone knows the story by now, with Barnes viciously attacking Fisher at his home last fall.
The hatred Barnes holds for Derek Fisher has dominated headlines in the months following the incident, with Barnes publicly speaking on the matter several times (even telling reporters Fisher was a “snake”).
One year later, and the animosity between the two has simmered down. Barnes, in a Bleacher Report piece, revealed his current day perception of what happened:
“I respect (Fisher) for the fact that that’s who my ex loves and makes her happy. So I respect him on that level”, Barnes said. “He makes her happy and he’s around my kids and they like him. But other than that, man to man, I don’t respect him at all. There’s just too many other women to play that game. At the end of the day, a man is going to be a man.
“He doesn’t owe me anything. I just thought we were better than that. You gonna move in with my wife and kids? And not have the courage to tell me? Nothing about that sounds like what a real man would do. I see him at my kids’ football games and he won’t even look at me. He stares at the ground. He won’t make eye contact. The way he moved was foul. But hate is too heavy to carry. I’ve forgiven him but I just don’t respect him. Just be good to my kids. The day that stops there’s going to be a real-life problem.”
Barnes, during the final day of his interview with Bleacher Report, heard some appealing news on social media: Derek Fisher hinting at an NBA comeback.
“I’ll mark it on my calendar,” Barnes says on a potential Derek Fisher comeback. “It’ll be like the NBA Finals. I’ll make sure I’ll guard him no matter what.”
While Barnes claims he’s forgiven Fisher, his resentment and agitation towards the chaotic scene that occurred last year is evident. lt’s likely he’ll never truly forgive what Fisher did that day, and the two will probably continue to stay away from each other as time moves forward.
