The life of a professional athlete, particularly an NBA player, isn’t always an easy one because much of what they do is on the public stage. Role players aren’t typically as fawned over as superstars, and they can usually control the exposure of their private lives. But that wasn’t the case for Matt Barnes, whose involvement in the reality show “Basketball Wives” put his romantic relationship out in the open.
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Barnes would have never participated in the hit reality show if it weren’t for Shaquille O’Neal. The four-time NBA champion convinced Barnes and his ex-wife, Gloria Govan, to be one of the couples in the show. After some deliberation, it seemed like a fun idea.
The 14-year NBA veteran was married to Govan for just two years. They tied the knot in 2013 and went their separate ways in 2015. They appeared on “Basketball Wives” in 2014, but Barnes doesn’t blame the show for the downfall of his marriage.
One thing Barnes does blame the show for, though, is pushing his relationship into the public eye. In a recent appearance on The Truth After Dark podcast, he provided full transparency on the impact reality TV had on his relationship.
“Shaq talked me into doing ‘Basketball Wives,'” Barnes said. “I gave that privacy and security away. I can’t get mad when people comment on what I’ve done or my relationship. I’ve opened that to the world.”
Nonetheless, the concept of reality television hasn’t put a bad taste in Barnes’ mouth. In 2024, he returned to the field that put his first marriage on the public pedestal. Barnes and his fiancée, Anansa Sims, came together to create “The Barnes Bunch.”
This recent endeavor allows Barnes to have more creative control regarding the portrayal of his life. It features not only his fiancée but also the blend of both of their families, including their children.
Barnes doesn’t believe there’s a lesson to learn about putting relationships on public display through reality TV, but he says it can spotlight how difficult relationships are.“We’ve all won in relationships, and we’ve all lost in relationships,” Barnes said. “When you add kids into the dynamic, it’s even deeper.”
Barnes knows the difficulties that come with relationships and emotions. He continues to take what he has learned from his past experiences into his current relationship with Sims. The two are happy together and will be tying the knot soon.
