Some things in life are inevitable: death, taxes, and NBA veterans holding grudges over money. If there is one thing that hoopers never forget, it is a hard foul, a bad contract, or, in this case,  a debt that has gone very sour sitting unpaid for way too long.

The NBA may be a brotherhood, but that does not mean everyone plays by the set of rules off the court. When money gets involved, friendships can turn sour really quickly, and sometimes, the only way to handle business is to air it out for the world to see. Recently, Matt Barnes found himself caught in the crosshairs of a fiery takedown, a debt gone bad between the veteran Vernon Maxwell and Vincent Askew.

But what exactly made Maxwell go nuclear? The answer goes back to a $10,000 favor that he thought was just that, a favor. Instead, it became a long-standing grudge

Matt Barnes was so taken aback by the crash out Vernon posted on social media that he could not keep his drink out. One moment he was drinking it, the next he was wearing it. A clip was shared on @allthesmoke podcast on Instagram where Matt Barnes divulged, “ I saw, I don’t know how many months ago, it made me spit my drink out, and send it to my group chat when you went off on Vincent Askew. About the mother****ker owing you some money,” reminding Vernon of his legendary crash out.

So, what caused this legendary crash out? Vernon Maxwell, one of the NBA’s most unfiltered characters, refused to waste any more time reclaiming what was rightfully his. And we can’t blame him. Let us look at what originally spurred this on.

The $10k Loan That Sparked It All

To put this in context, Vernon Maxwell claims that Vincent Askew approached him “on his knees” for financial help, citing personal reasons. Whether Askew made a bad investment, faced legal troubles, or urgently needed cash, Maxwell did not hesitate to help him out. As a former NBA player himself, Maxwell likely understood the ups and downs of life after basketball and was willing to look out for a fellow hooper in need.

According to Maxwell, Askew never returned that goodwill. Weeks turned into months, and Maxwell still hadn’t seen a dime of the $10K Askew owed him. Askew ignored Maxwell’s calls and left his text messages on read. Damn, Askew really pulled a “new phone who dis?” on Maxwell.

Maxwell, not one to stay silent, decided to air it all out in a video, making sure that everyone in the basketball world knew about it. When Maxwell realized Askew still owed him $10K from a bad deal, he didn’t stay quiet or professional. Instead, he chose the direct approach, publicly calling out Askew and making it clear that he needed to pay his debt immediately.

Maxwell didn’t just stop at calling out Askew for the unpaid $10K, he also issued a warning to other NBA players. He flat-out told them not to lend Askew any money, implying that this wasn’t a one-time incident. While there aren’t many public records of Askew borrowing from others, Maxwell’s frustration suggests that he may not be the only one waiting on repayment.

If Maxwell’s rant tells us anything, it’s that NBA beef doesn’t end when the final whistle blows. It just gets louder online. And if Askew doesn’t pay up, this saga is far from over. With Barnes keeping an eye on the drama, fans might want to keep their drinks at a safe distance. Just in case.