Matt Barnes was in attendance for the game between the Harvard-Westlake Wolverines and Crespi Carmelite Celts high school basketball teams over the weekend. Barnes’ son plays for Crespi, coached by Derek Fisher, and got into an altercation with a student announcer during the game.
Barnes objected to his son picking up a technical foul during the game. For some reason, he charged for the Harvard-Westlake announcer Jake Lancer and tried grabbing him to draw his attention. This led to the game being paused as tempers were flaring all over the court. The video of the interaction made its way onto social media as well.
This is blatant disinformation. Jake Lancer is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with in broadcast or journalism. He did not say “shut up.” Here are videos of what he said immediately before and after the altercation. @Tarek_Fattal @latsondheimer https://t.co/QXwlfP0cOU pic.twitter.com/OUSedsNEEX
— Julian Andreone (@JulianAndreone) February 3, 2024
Lancer commented about Barnes’ behavior after the game when the interaction went viral.
“This guy was on the court mid-game multiple times screaming ridiculous stuff at the refs and everyone, including myself was looking at him, we made eye contact and that was enough for him to come up to me and grip my shoulder with his hand.”
HW student broadcaster Jake Lancer
This guy was on the court mid-game multiple times screaming ridiculous stuff at the refs and everyone, including myself was looking at him, we made eye contact and that was enough for him to come up to me and grip my shoulder with his hand.
— Jack Pollon (@pollonpreps) February 3, 2024
Lancer did aggravate Barnes from his re-telling of the interaction, but nothing egregious enough to cause a physical confrontation.
“He said, ‘What do you think you’re looking at?’ And I said, ‘You’re screaming, “You’re a (term for a female private part)” to the refs mid-game while I’m trying to announce, don’t touch me.’ And then he said ‘I’ll slap the s*** out of you.'”
HW student broadcaster Jake Lancer, part two
He said “what do you think your looking at” and I said “you’re screaming ‘you’re a (term for a female private part)’ to the refs mid game while im trying to announce, don’t touch me” and then he said “I’ll slap the shit out of you”
— Jack Pollon (@pollonpreps) February 3, 2024
Barnes commented on the situation on social media after confusing retellings of the story were causing fans to attack the player.
“Shut ur ass up. I was talking to the ref, not you or that kid that decided to say some slick sh*t. Don’t let that privileged HW sh*t go to your head. Idgaf who your son is.”
Shut ur ass up. I was talking to the ref not you or that kid that decided to say some slick shit. Don’t let that privileged HW shit go to your head. Idgaf who your son is
— Matt Barnes (@Matt_Barnes22) February 3, 2024
Barnes got overly frustrated during this game and made a series of bad decisions. Parents always get defensive about their children, so Barnes’ cussing out the referees is not surprising and even understandable. But a line has to be drawn, and Barnes getting into this situation with a high school senior is more than regrettable.
Frustrations got the better of him, as Barnes was watching his son’s team lose 54-72 in the game. Harvard-Westlake featured Christian Horry, the son of Robert Horry in what was a game with some of the best high school players on the West Coast.
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