“Kobe Bryant Paid My Fines”: Matt Barnes Who Lost Over $500,000 of his $35M Career Earnings Got Covered by The Mamba

Nithin Joseph | 22/01/2023
"Kobe Bryant Paid My Fines": Matt Barnes Who Gave Back NBA Over $500,000 in His Career Got Covered by The Mamba

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players the game of basketball has ever seen. In his 20-year career, the man dominated the NBA.

He was a serial winner, and competitive to boot. A Los Angeles Lakers legend, the Black Mamba led the franchise to five NBA Championships.

However, he could have never done it without his teammates. Something Kobe knows, and so never forgets to appreciate. Like when he covered part of Matt Barnes’ fines.

Also Read: “Vanessa Bryant was Rude, Standoffish, Difficult”: Kobe Bryant and His Wife Initially Took To Fame Terribly, Jeff Pearlman Once Revealed

Kobe Bryant paid off some of Matt Barnes’ fines because he always had his back

There are times when fans forget that basketball is a contact sport. It is a sport with great players, one where teammates always had each other’s backs.

The same can be said of Matt Barnes. Barnes was one of the best teammates the NBA has ever seen. Incurring close to $500,000 defending his teammates, Barnes would have lost a lot of money, having made only $35 million in his career. Luckily, the Black Mamba paid off some of those fines.

“I played my a** off out there. Anything for the team. They know I’m team first and I treated them like my family. So whenever there was smoke on the court, they know I was gonna be in it. But during the times I got fined, I got fined close to half a million dollars. It was never me starting something. It was me coming to the defense of a teammate, and the only person to pay my fines was Kobe. Everyone else let me take the.”


A great story that showcases the bond that Kobe and Barnes shared as teammates on the Lakers. Although, there were times when the animosity between the two was palpable.

Matt Barnes was involved in one of the coldest moments of Kobe’s NBA career

There can be no denying that Kobe Bryant is one of the coolest players in NBA history. The man was as stone-cold as it gets, both on and off the NBA court. Perhaps one of his coldest moments came against Matt Barnes when he infamously stared Barnes down without even flinching.

He truly was a legend of the game. One that you would have to be foolish enough to mess with.

Also Read: “Oh Yeah!”: Kobe Bryant, Who is 6ft 6in Tall, Thought he was Pele When he Played Soccer in Italy

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Kobe Bryant Matt Barnes

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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