More alleged – we cannot stress that word enough – details are coming out about the Matt Barnes/Derek Fisher altercation that Yahoo Sports and the New York Post alerted us to on Wednesday.
The Post reported that Barnes, a Memphis Grizzlies swingman and former teammate of Fisher (now the coach of the New York Knicks), allegedly bragged to a friend via text in the wake of the fight; which occurred late Saturday evening at the home of Barnes’ ex-wife, Gloria Govan:
Following the dustup, Barnes, 35, texted a pal that he had not only assaulted Fisher, 41, but also took revenge on Govan, one source said.
“I kicked his ass from the back yard to the front room, and spit in her face,” the text read, according to the source.
TMZ reported on Thursday that the fight didn’t end until Barnes and Govan’s children, just before midnight on Saturday evening, begged the coach and forward to stop going at it:
We're told Barnes berated Fisher for dating his estranged wife Gloria Govan -- saying he felt disrespected because they've been good friends for years. The witness says Barnes made it clear he felt betrayed by Fish.
Fisher stood up to Barnes and an argument broke out -- the witness tells us Barnes threw a punch that hit Derek square in the mouth.
We're told Derek fought back and "was holding his own" -- until several people, including Gloria, rushed in to try to break it up.
But the fighting didn't stop until one of Matt's children came into the backyard and begged the men to stop fighting. We're told that pretty much ended things.
Matt eventually left the home. We're told both men were bleeding from the scrap.
TMZ and The Post also reported that Fisher will not press charges after the incident.
Barnes and Fisher, safe at home in Memphis and Connecticut (where the Knicks practice), met with the media on Thursday to give their “it is what it is”-takes.
They seriously both said that.
Barnes pointed out that it was his distressed children that influenced him to go to his ex-wife’s house, which is understandable up to the point where he (allegedly) punches a guy in the mouth and (allegedly) spits in a woman’s face:
Fisher, meanwhile, briefly discussed talking with Knicks president Phil Jackson, and little else. From the New York Post:
Fisher said he has spoken to Knicks president Phil Jackson about the dust-up, but wouldn’t divulge anything about the chat.
[…]
Fisher said it is “understandable” people would question his dedication, but said he is 100 percent focused on his job with the Knicks.
[…]
“It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.”
Told you:
More upsetting than the platitudes was the reaction from the NBA community following the alleged incident. That because Derek Fisher was hanging out and/or dating the ex-wife of a player and former teammate, he somehow deserved to be allegedly attacked, and that the grown woman in question deserves some sort of scorn (and, allegedly, a spit to the face) for dating whomever the hell she wants.
No comments:
Post a Comment