If you’re gonna step into the ring with a 6-foot-9 veteran, you better have more than just fancy dribble moves. The internet had a front-row seat to the chaos as Brian Scalabrine took on basketball social media sensation George “The Messiah” Papoutsis. And, the so-called “Messiah” didn’t exactly walk on water, but sank. Hard. Papoutsis strutted in with his big bully energy, but Scalabrine reminded him that playground tricks don’t work against NBA vets. And when the dust settled, Matt Barnes wasted no time reminding everyone where a flashy trickster stands against a seasoned vet like Scalabrine.

A few days ago, someone asked The Messiah, “G, you think you can beat an NBA player bro?” Without hesitation, he fired back, “Why not, man?…Brian Scalabrine? I got him,” But when this reached Scalabrine, his reaction was epic. “Oh hell no, “I’m going to be in New York in Saturday, so I’m going to pull up.” And guess what? He did. The battle went down, and it was brutal. George played dirty, throwing fouls left and right, but Scalabrine was built for this. Every attack was met with a stronger counter, and in the end, the White Mamba obliterated him, 11-0. Then came Matt Barnes, waiting for his moment. Once the footage hit the internet, he just couldn’t help himself.

On his podcast ALL THE SMOKE, Matt Barnes let loose on The Messiah for even thinking he could go after another NBA player. He said, “Actually, the Messiah dude hit me and asked me if I’m next.” Some serious guts? George thought he could line up another NBA vet after getting humbled. That’s some wild confidence, a borderline delusion, honestly. “And I said, play m————- your level bro, quit talking to me like that because you foul me like that, Imma fight you on the spot.” Well, that’s a vet for you. This isn’t a playground. You start throwing reckless fouls at someone like Matt, and you’re not getting a rematch, you’re getting hands. “But the way this dude is fouling Scal… but I loved what Scal (did). Scal, shout out bro.” He held his back.

Barnes gave props where props were due. Scalabrine didn’t just win; he handled business like a true pro and kept the faces of many ex-vets like Matt. “Man, just stop thinking s— is sweet. People get the misconception of guys that may be on the bench or don’t play, can’t play. No, they can play. No, they are a pro for a reason.” Matt continued. This is the reality. Just because a guy wasn’t a superstar doesn’t mean he can’t cook anyone outside the league. Scalabrine was proof of that, 11-0. 

Beyond the locked horns lies a fun where Matt Barnes and his epic replies can never be missed. He’s always got that little mix of enthusiasm and maturity when dropping a comment. But hey, even the best have their limits, right?

Matt Barnes and controversies: When he fell victim to sons’ high school drama

Last year, former NBA player Matt Barnes was dropped as an on-air analyst for Sacramento Kings games after a heated incident at his son’s high school basketball game. NBC California confirmed his removal to The Sacramento Bee but didn’t offer any further details at that time. But who can keep the heat away? A viral video showed him putting his hands on the student before other parents stepped in. The student later claimed Barnes threatened to “slap the s— out of” him. 

The incident happened during a game between Crespi Carmelite and Harvard-Westlake. According to The Los Angeles Times, Barnes engaged with Harvard-Westlake student announcer Jake Lancer after his son was called for a technical foul. However, according to Matt, the incident was something that everybody overlooked.

Defending himself on The Dan LeBatard Show, Matt explained: “A lot of people want to say I grabbed this kid or I did this,” He continued, “I literally put my hand on this kid’s shoulder because it was almost like I was talking to my son. He told me to sit my ass down.” This was really unexpected reply coming from a high scholar. Matt was surprised, as he said, “I was just like, ‘Why do you feel comfortable to be able to tell a grown man to sit his ass down?’ So he and I had a little back and forth.”

Whatever the reason might have caused the incident, Matt was fired nonetheless. Not once, not twice, the heat of the moment, has caught Barness off-guard time and again. And it ends with a question: next when?