Although the NBA regular season has yet to begin, it looks like the basketball preseason is doing a fine job delivering fireworks to fans and followers of the league - that is, providing explosive entertainment outside the hardwood court. In what could only be described as a story seemingly written for a drama series, the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies have a love triangle gone awry to contend with this season.
Reports have surfaced that the widely known aggressive power forward of the Memphis Grizzlies, Matt Barnes, dropped everything during training camp to throw a punch at former teammate and now New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher, who had been enjoying a bonfire dinner with friends in Los Angeles. While hanging out with friends and loved ones is no reason for Matt Barnes to engage in a physical altercation with Derek Fisher, the aggression from the Memphis Grizzlies star appears to be justified when his former wife, Gloria Govan, is involved.
Sources claim that the New York Knicks coach is currently in a romantic relationship with Gloria Govan - a fact the pushed Matt Barnes to his limits. To make matters worse, the bonfire affair with Derek Fisher and friends had been hosted by Gloria Govan in the house she once shared with Matt Barnes. Once the Memphis Grizzlies star found out about the happening in his former home, he opted to drive from Santa Barbara, the location of the NBA team's training camp, to Los Angeles to confront the two.
"[Matt] Barnes went crazy," disclosed a source to the New York Post. The insider went on to share, "He got in his car and went to the house and went after [Derek] Fisher. Matt [Barnes] then drove down there to beat the s-t out of him." Police were reported called to the scene, but Derek Fisher was said to have opted to simply leave even before the authorities arrived.
For his part, Derek Fisher chose to remain silent about the issue. While the New York Knicks coach insist that his personal life should not be tangled with his professional responsibilities, Derek Fisher admitted to addressing the issue with Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the NBA team.
"Nowadays it's a fine line between private life and our day job," shared Carmelo Anthony following the explanation provided by Derek Fisher to the New York Knicks squad, according to New York Post. The NBA elite added, "Nowadays it starts to intertwine with one another. You can try to compartmentalize a lot of the things that's going on - your personal stuff, your family, your business - that's off the court and when it's time to play ball we play ball."
For his part, point guard Jose Calderon felt that Derek Fisher need not justify himself to anyone - not even to the New York Knicks. According to Jose Calderon, the personal issues of the New York Knicks coach should remain separate from his professional duties.
Meanwhile, the NBA has not yet provided a detailed comment on the issue. At the moment, the basketball commission only shared that the altercation is under investigation. The same sentiment was echoed by the Memphis Grizzlies, who stated that the actions of Matt Barnes will be looked upon and the results of the inquiry will be disclosed as soon as possible.
