photo courtesy of ESPN
NBA alumni Matt Barnes was caught on video spitting at and starting a physical altercation with his fiance’s, Anansa Sims, ex-husband.
The video was caught at a January 22 NFL game where the Cowboys faced the 49ers in Santa Clara, California. According to TMZ, the incident occurred at around 4pm and was so intense that bystanders had to break up the scuffle between Barnes and David Patterson Jr.
The video shows Barnes spitting at Patterson and then the pair beginning to shove each other. However, 42-year-old Barnes reported to the outlet that Patterson started the incident himself.
He recounted, “[Patterson] hunted me down and aggressively confronted me. [It] turned into a frenzy by yelling out my full name repeatedly. [He] “shoved me, and I was forced to push him off of me.”
The former baller even applied for a temporary civil restraining order following the fight that would restrict Patterson from coming within 100 yards of him.
Barnes continued to admit that he was in the wrong but said that he was so frustrated by Patterson inciting him that he acted out.
“I did not want the altercation to physically escalate further, and out of frustration with him seeking me out and his unrelenting repeated harassment, I spit in his direction in disgust.”
Barnes even said that Patterson’s ex, 37, behavior isn’t an isolated incident and that he’s “jealous of my relationship with his ex-wife.” The former NBA player alleged that Patterson’s harassment has been going on for months and that he’s even threatened to shoot him.