Former NBA player Matt Barnes might be looking at some legal trouble in regard to a feud with his fiancée’s ex-husband. The former spouse of Barnes’ fiancee Anansa Sims, David Patterson Jr., filed a lawsuit against Barnes in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, alleging violence, assault, and emotional distress during an altercation at the San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys game last weekend.
The former NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors in 2017, Barnes is the host of the popular “All the Smoke” podcast with fellow ex-NBA player Stephen Jackson. He has never been the one to back down in hostile situations, but this time it might have backfired on him.
What happened between Matt Barnes and his fiancée’s ex, David Patterson Jr.?
According to a video of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Barnes is seen in a heated exchange with David over reasons not known, which culminates in Barnes spitting on David’s face. Patterson claims in his lawsuit that he was unaware Barnes would be at the NFL divisional playoff game between the Niners and Cowboys on Sunday, but the two unintentionally crossed paths on a concourse at Levi’s Stadium.
#MattBarnes spit on his fiancee’s ex during a heated altercation during the #Cowboys vs. #49ers game. Matt claims the man started it all by threatening him and shoving him. 😳 pic.twitter.com/Gj8NxNBsnR
— No Jumper (@nojumper) January 26, 2023
He is seeking unspecified damages for “emotional distress, violence, and assault” by Barnes. He alleged that the two started yelling at each other from 20 feet away before Barnes walked up to him and spat in his face. Multiple cameras have captured the incident, as claimed by David, who also said that Barnes has repeatedly harassed him in the past as well.
He also claimed that Barnes has made several threats through text messages, calling Patterson a “bitch,” “clown” and “fat f***” as well as one message in 2022 that said, “Pull up & get your ass whooped in front of your kids. I’m done talking.”
According to Barnes, who already has a temporary restraining order against Patterson, the incident took place completely differently. As per TMZ, Barnes claimed Patterson had been stalking him for a while, threatening to shoot him with a gun at one point, and “hunted” him down during the Niners game.
Barnes asserts that he only spat at Patterson after Patterson “aggressively confronted” him and reportedly assaulted him. Barnes alleges Patterson had been “trying to bait me to damage my reputation and hurt my career.” The temporary restraining order, which requires Patterson to stay 100 yards away from Barnes with no contact and no firearms, will run through Feb 16.
Matt Barnes got his ring tonight.
The Warriors gave his kids rings too. pic.twitter.com/ER2jSjXhH0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 28, 2017
After getting drafted in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, Barnes played 14 seasons in the NBA for 5 teams, while also winning a ring in 2017 with the Golden State Warriors. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN and as a host in his own podcast “All the Smoke” with Stephen Jackson.