It’s all fun and games till it gets real, and it seems Jeff Teague realized this just in time. The former NBA star has now and then taken a jab at the Colorado Buffaloes’ head coach and Football icon Deion Sanders, but not anymore. No, it’s not any backlash that has changed his mind, but rather the support received.

During an episode of the Club 520 Podcast, a discussion on social media, and even some media hatred against Coach Prime and Colorado, emerged. But Teague made it clear he wants no association with any part of this. “They really hate (Sanders and Buffaloes)… That’s why I’m stopped joking about that…. People be writing me, like, ‘yeah, f*ck Colorado.’ And I’m like, hold on. I just be playing. Y’all really hate ’em,” the ex-Atlanta Hawks star said on the podcast.

Although the podcast crew mentioned that there is a reason behind the hate, no one mentioned it. As per some media reports, the reason is the way Sanders carried himself as a player. Prime Time was a successful NFL star with 2 Super Bowl championships and the only player to make appearances in both — a Super Bowl and a World Series.

It was allegedly his cockiness and the bragging that a lot could not tolerate. Seems like Coach Prime hasn’t had much of a change in his overall persona. However, no one should ignore what he has achieved for the Colorado Buffaloes so far. Sanders is reportedly generating an absurd amount of money for the team. In fact, as per a 2023 MSNBC article, the September 16 Colorado-Colorado State contest became ESPN’s most streamed college football game ever.

No wonder that game tickets for the Buffaloes sold for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market at the time. Even the Club 520 podcast crew acknowledged the wonders Coach Prime has done for the city of Boulder. However, Jeff Teague is not the first NBA star to have Sanders back against the hate he has been receiving.

Matt Barnes took a stand for Coach Prime

Barnes was never known to mince his words, so no way he was staying silent when he felt something to be unfair. After Sanders banned Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler for what Sanders called personal attacks against him, former columnist Paul Finebaum criticized Coach Prime, labeling him a “bully” and a “hypocrite.” But Barnes stepped in, taking to Instagram to back up Coach Prime in a big way.

He began by acknowledging Finebaum’s expertise in the college game, but at the same time didn’t hold back. “No one knows who you are!” he wrote, accusing Finebaum of trying to gain notoriety by attacking Sanders. Much like Skip Bayless did with LeBron James for the past two decades, as Barnes accused further. If you’ve followed sports, you know Bayless has been one of LeBron’s biggest critics, often making baseless critiques of the NBA star’s achievements.

Drawing a parallel, Matt termed Finebaum’s actions as similarly unjust. While Finebaum takes every opportunity to critique Coach Prime, the ex-NBA star pointed out that he ignores Sanders’ positive influence. Not only on the football field but also in preparing young athletes for life beyond sports. While social media and some media outlets continue to hate against Coach Prime, it’s clear which side a certain section of the NBA community, including the likes of Barnes and Jeff Teague, is standing on.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.