OKC guard Josh Giddey is setting the perfect example for why professional athletes should be more careful with whom they talk to online. And as the young player receives serious heat on social media for his actions, Raptors star Scottie Barnes is doing everything he can to not end up down a similar path. Today, he went viral for his reaction after finding out he was exchanging DMs with a 17-year-old.
After he saw that she was 17 years old, Scottie Barness deleted his messages.
It turns out that the teenager in question was actually a 26-year-old woman who was trying to “prank” Scottie by lying about her age. Fortunately, he didn’t fall for the bait.
This is disgusting behavior by a disgusting person Scottie if you need any support I'm just a DM away❤️ pic.twitter.com/DRgmDD6A7P
— BarnesMuse🦉 (@MuseBarnes) November 25, 2023
All players should take notes on the proper protocol for this situation. Instead of carrying on the conversation or trying to keep her quiet, he deleted his chats and left her on read. If there’s anything that the league has made clear recently it’s that scandals such as these are taken very seriously and it can put someone’s whole career on the line. For Barnes, who is playing some of the best basketball of his life right now, keeping up that conversation just wasn’t worth the risk.
The NBA Is On Notice
The league has seen no shortage of scandals over the past few years. From Miles Bridges and Kyrie Irving to Kevin Porter Jr. and Josh Giddey, there are many players who have crossed the line and some have committed worse sins than others. One of the worst things any player can do, though, is get caught up with kids. When you approach territory like that, it’s hard for people to see you any other way. For their part, the NBA has responded to all of these incidents in some shape or form. In the case of Bridges, they gave him a 10-game suspension and Josh Giddey could get the same depending on how the investigation pans out.
The bottom line is that the league just has no tolerance for these things anymore and unless you’re a star or a widely respected basketball legend, no teams are going to take the chance on anyone remotely controversial. Scottie Barnes obviously wouldn’t get cut from the Raptors but he probably saved himself a lot of hassle by avoiding starting a controversy of his own.
A Breakout Season For Barnes
It’s no wonder why Barne is being extra careful to avoid needless drama this season. In 16 games this season, he’s averaging 19.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 9.1 rebounds on 47% shooting. As the focal point of the offense, he’s led the Raptors to a respectable 8-8 record this season, good enough for 10th in the West.
While this is a far cry from being title contenders, the Raptors are in a good place right now and Scottie Barnes has the potential to take them over the top. if he can continue to develop as a shooter and playmaker in Toronto, it will set him up to become one of the best wing players in the East. Besides hard work and focus on the court, staying out of trouble will be key for Barnes as he looks to take the next step as a leader over the next few months. judging by his reaction to the viral DMs, we have no reason to worry that he’ll be caught up in something sticky.
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