When Matt Barnes started All the Smoke, he wasn’t sure what he was doing or “what it was.” But five years in, he, alongside Stephen Jackson, has amassed about 2 million social media following, released a book titled the same, and has had guests like Kamala Harris, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and numerous more. So you know it has come to be one of his prized feats and he isn’t letting anyone mess with it.

Taking to his Instagram account, the 44-year-old called out a former associate for pretending to be involved with the podcast. Barnes wasted no time setting the record straight. “This guy Sean Butler @hollywoodexec is FULL OF $H!T,” he wrote. “He has absolutely NOTHING to do w @allthesmoke or me. He hasn’t been apart of the show since 2019. He’s going around talking to people & brands as if he reps me & my show.” If you’re thinking that’s harsh, Barnes made it even clearer—demanding Butler remove the Exec Producer title from his bio.

But the former NBA star wasn’t exactly done yet. He followed up with another post, sharing a screenshot of a conversation that seems to have first exposed Butler. The texts in the snapgrab had All the Smoke team and Sean Butler in the same discussion. “Quit playin w me @hollywoodexec. Got this screen shot this morning. This will be the last time I verbally address you. @cultivateentertainment & @hollywoodexec are all frauds.”

Who exactly is this Sean Mik’ael Butler? Well, according to IMDb, he’s himself the co-founder and president of Cultivate Entertainment Partners. A company that, as per IMDB, manages talent and produces high-end content. Butler’s roster includes clients working on projects like Quantico, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It. But to Barnes, none of that matters. The issue here isn’t Butler’s résumé—it’s the alleged false claims about All the Smoke.

No wonder Matt Barnes shared a third IG post, explaining the history between him and Butler. As per what the ex-NBA star said, Butler’s involvement with the podcast was brief. Just six months back in 2019. And it didn’t end well. Barnes accused Butler of negotiating a terrible deal that gave All the Smoke’s IP to Showtime, a situation Barnes had to fight to fix.

And here’s where it gets even more heated. Barnes said Butler has been misusing his name to approach brands. “You’ve kept the All the Smoke executive producer in your bio. I’ve been letting you live. I don’t give a f*ck Bro, that don’t matter,” Barnes said bluntly. But in no uncertain terms, he warned Butler to stop speaking on his behalf or the podcast’s. “I don’t want to have to sue you. I don’t want to have to go that route. Just leave me alone,” he said.

There was a sense of purpose behind Matt Barnes starting All the Smoke alongside Stephen Jackson

The story behind All The Smoke isn’t just about ex-NBA stars trying to enter the space of sports media. The story goes something like this–Barnes, alongside Stephen Jackson, wanted to break free from the scripted world of traditional sports media.

During an appearance on CBS Mornings, the 2017 NBA champ shared how it all started. Him and Jack, lounging at Barnes’ house, watching games, and talking sports the way they couldn’t on networks like ESPN or FOX. And Matt had an idea–a podcast.

But here’s the kicker—neither of them really knew what that meant. Still, the 2017 NBA champ pitched the idea to Jackson, describing it as a space with more freedom than the rigid networks they were used to. “He (Jack) trusted me with the vision and I went out and made it happen,” Barnes said.

This is what we meant when we said All the Smoke is one of Barnes’ prized feats. Brought into existence with a lot of love and hope around it. And the 2017 NBA champ has made it clear that he’s not having anyone messing around his show.