Key Points

• Former NBS stars Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher got into a physical altercation in 2015.

• The two have since squashed their beef.

• Barnes opened up about the situation and his anger issues on this week’s episode of Special Forces.

On this week’s episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, contestant and former hooper Matt Barnes opened up about the anger issues he’s dealt with both on and off the court.

After a staff sergeant asked him about getting “into a fight with an NBA guy,” Barnes explained, “I earned a reputation of kind of the NBA bad boy because I was light-skinned with tattoos and good hair, so they thought, ‘He must be acting a certain way,’ without knowing what my childhood was about.”

That “fight with an NBA guy” was the infamous dispute between Barnes and his former Lakers teammate Derek Fisher, who began dating Barnes’ estranged wife, Gloria Govan, leading to a heated and physical confrontation in 2015. Barnes and Govan married in 2013 and separated in 2014, though their divorce wasn’t finalized until 2016. The incident drove a wedge between the two former teammates.

So, what exactly happened between Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher? And did the two ever reconcile? Keep reading for a closer look at their confrontation and what Barnes said about the incident on Special Forces.

Why did Matt Barnes fight Derek Fisher?

Barnes and Fisher were involved in a physical altercation on Oct. 3, 2015, reportedly stemming from Barnes’ anger over Fisher’s relationship with his estranged wife, Gloria Govan. According to PEOPLE, the two became physical at Govan’s home, which Barnes had reportedly driven 95 miles to from Santa Barbara after finding out that Govan and Fisher were together there. At the time, Govan and Fisher were reportedly dating, and Govan and Barnes were still legally married.

Barnes was in Santa Barbara that weekend for Memphis Grizzlies training camp. Meanwhile, Fisher had a day off from coaching the Knicks and flew to California to see his children before visiting the home Barnes had shared with Govan, per Yahoo Sports.

However, Barnes later disputed the reports that he had driven 95 miles to confront Fisher, claiming he had already returned to his home near Los Angeles and drove approximately 15 minutes to check on his children, who he said were uncomfortable with Fisher’s presence.

“I can’t believe people think I was some maniac driving 95 miles and listening to Tupac to go beat somebody up,” Barnes told ESPN.

What happened during Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher’s confrontation?

The NBA confirmed that Barnes had engaged in a “physical altercation” with Fisher and threatened him, but offered few additional details. A source told the New York Post at the time, “Barnes went crazy. He got in his car and went to the house and went after Fisher. Matt then drove down there to beat the s— out of him.”

Sources told the Post that Barnes arrived at the house to find Fisher and Govan in the backyard with friends. According to the outlet, a fight broke out around 11:45 p.m, while a witness told Yahoo Sports that the confrontation began in the backyard and moved into the kitchen and then the front room of the house. The cops were reportedly called, but Fisher had left before they arrived. 

A source close to Fisher told the Post, “Matt came after Derek, but he only had a few scratches. Derek’s not going to press charges; he’s going to let it go.”

What did Matt Barnes say about Derek Fisher on Special Forces?

After a staff sergeant on Special Forces brought up Barnes’ incident with Fisher, Barnes went on to explain how his “fiery temper” stemmed from the racism he experienced growing up as a mixed-race child in California. “I faced a lot of racism growing up,” he said. “Being Italian and black, I wasn’t black enough, wasn’t white enough. So in third grade my dad told me if they call you the n-word, fight ‘em, so I was fighting so much that my mom had to come work at the school.”

He also recalled a traumatic experience during his adolescence: “My senior year, the KKK came and vandalized my whole high school. Swastikas everywhere.” Barnes said the vandals also hung a mannequin wearing his football jersey from an oak tree in front of the school.

“It was definitely a learning experience that marked me,” he reflected. “Throughout my career, I found myself getting in trouble for standing up for teammates. If I’m on that team, we’re family. So if anyone’s fighting, I’ll be the first one to get in line. It cost me probably close to $700,000 in fines over my career, but I wouldn’t change it because those are my brothers that turned into family.”

Still, Barnes acknowledged that he’s made mistakes. “I’m still a work in progress, but I’m working hard at it,” he added.

Was Matt Barnes punished for fighting Derek Fisher?

For his altercation with Fisher, Barnes was suspended for two games by the NBA in December 2015. He was also fined $35,000 by the league for comments he made about the fight.

“There’s support throughout the league, other leagues, GMs, owners, entertainers, actors, everybody,” Barnes told reporters of the support he’d received in the aftermath of the incident. “It’s been a great support. Every man who looks at the situation knows what’s right and wrong. Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is. And unfortunately, it happened.”

The comments drew a sharp rebuke from the NBA. “Matt Barnes’ comments condoning violence do not reflect who we are as a league or the character of our players,” responded Kiki VanDeWeghe, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations. “His words are unacceptable and entirely inconsistent with the core principles of this game and the NBA.”

Barnes revisited the remark on Special Forces. “At an early age, unfortunately, I was fighting for respect and fighting racism. I had a famous quote one time, ‘Violence is never the answer, but sometimes it is.’”

Did Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher ever reconcile?

As of 2021, Barnes and Fisher were “cool,” according to Barnes himself. Barnes appeared on an episode of the Charges With Rex Chapman podcast, where he discussed how the two had reconciled for the sake of coparenting the twin sons Barnes shares with Govan.

“We buried the hatchet, we spoke,” Barnes said. “To me — because they’re still together — to me it’s about raising these twins the best we possibly can and coparenting.”

He added, “So, now he and I are cool, on the same page. We communicate and see each other when we’re at events. They’ve been to my house for the twins’ birthday. I’ve been to their place.”

Barnes also pushed back on the assumption that he was still with Govan when she began dating Fisher. “Like, he started dating my ex-wife,” he said. “That’s what it was. He didn’t steal s--- from me. What I’m tripping off is you’re in my house that I pay for with my kids and you didn’t tell me.”

Govan and Fisher married in July 2021, but separated in 2026.

Where can I watch Special Forces: America’s Toughest Test?

Special Forces: America’s Toughest Test airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox and streams the following day on Hulu.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly