“Daddy’s Like the Undertaker”: Matt Barnes Shares How He Explained to His Sons About Getting Booed on the Road

Very few NBA role players were better than Matt Barnes. Fans from opposing teams weren’t always his biggest fans, though, and that sometimes brought him a barrage of boos. His kids were in attendance at one particular game and saw the treatment their father received. To lighten the circumstances, Barnes made a WWE comparison.

In the early 2010s, Barnes made a few enemies on the court. The 6-foot-7 forward refused to back down from competition. He found himself under the lens of the mainstream microscope after an encounter with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

In a game between the Orlando Magic and the Lakers on March 7, 2010, Barnes’ popularity reached new heights. He and Bryant were guarding each other throughout the game. The physicality increased with each possession, leading to one infamous instance.

Barnes was preparing to inbound the ball while Bryant was guarding him. Before throwing it, he faked a pass in front of Kobe’s face. The five-time NBA champion didn’t flinch, and in that moment, Barnes became a villain.

“It’s hard being a bad guy or the villain when you’re not a bad person,” Barnes said on The Two Personal Show. “There for a while, I was Public Enemy No. 1.”

Barnes felt the repercussion of his scuffle with Bryant even when he wasn’t playing the Lakers’ star.

“We were on some East Coast trip, and the twins were on the trip, and after the game, they were like, ‘Daddy, how come when they announced your name, everyone booed?'” Barnes revealed.

Like many kids, Barnes’ children looked up at their dad as their hero, and he didn’t want to ruin that image. At the time, they were really big into wrestling, so he thought of a brilliant comparison.

“I’m like, ‘Daddy’s like the Undertaker. Every time I go out there, I have to guard the best player, and that’s like Hulk Hogan. They always want to see Hulk Hogan do well, but then the Undertaker comes and kind of f**** s*** up. So they’re booing me because they respect me and they don’t like the work I do,'” Barnes said.

The one-time NBA champion eased his children’s minds with his explanation. Unfortunately, it didn’t make the process of being a villain much easier. Thankfully, once Barnes retired from the NBA, his reputation was restored.