“I salute him for even getting in the ring…I'm just like, damn, was it worth it?” – Former NBA champion wonders if Nate Robinson would be able to overcome his boxing match loss, fears he's a laughingstock now
Years after the famous boxing match between big-time YouTuber Jake Paul and former NBA player Nate Robinson, Matt Barnes reflects on how the fight concluded. Being a tough guy himself, Barnes admits that boxing is a sport that's supposed to be taken seriously and carefully.
Back in 2020, a much-awaited showdown between Paul and Robinson took over the internet. This was the start of the age of prizefighting content creators pioneered by the Paul brothers. In 2018, both Jake and Logan Paul headlined the main event as they fought the British content creators and brothers KSI and Deji. Logan would end his fight against KSI for a majority draw, while Jake won via technical knockout against Deji.
In Jake's second pro bout against the former Slam Dunk champion, he quickly wrapped things up in the second round. Robinson was badly hurt as he remained unconscious for quite some time. The entire internet, on the other hand, took this as an opportunity to make fun of the 5-foot-9 NBA star.
Matt Barnes was recently interviewed and briefly spoke about Nate's attempts at boxing. Here's what he had to say:
"Nate's a good dude. Like I said, I played with Nate, real good friends with him," Barnes said.
"I salute him for even getting in the ring. Like I said, this boxing s**t is no joke, but he'll never live that situation down, which is tough."
"You know, from little kids to grown-ups, it's always going to be a laugh for people. I'm just like, 'Damn, was it worth it?'"
When asked if he would consider boxing, Barnes said this:
"I really don't dislike anybody, you know what I mean? ...me and [Derek] Fisher are straight, so there's nobody for me to really like turn my anger up to it at this point."
Barnes and Fisher have quarreled over Barnes' ex-wife. It took over the headlines as the one-time champion went out of his way to confront his former teammate over it. Fortunately, they were able to move on from the issues that occurred.
How good was Matt Barnes in the NBA?
In his 14-year career in the NBA, Barnes was mostly a journeyman. Selected in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002, he was immediately traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Afterward, the team assigned him to the D-League (currently the G-League).
Barnes got a chance to play in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2003-04 season. From there, he would hop from team to team. He would find significant success when he joined the We Believe Warriors, which revolutionized the small-ball concept in the league. But after just two seasons, he signed with the Phoenix Suns on a one-year deal.
Barnes is known to be one of the early three-and-D players that are highly recruited in today's association. Barnes spent his last season with the Golden State Warriors, where he won his only championship.