In the most recent episode of VH1’s Basketball Wives reality show titled “Cheating Spouses”, current Orlando Magic player Matt Barnes appeared in an excruciatingly uncomfortable scene with his fiancée Gloria, who is a regular on the show, and two other regular cast members.
In the scene, Barnes is essentially ambushed by Jennifer Williams (wife of ex-NBA player Eric Williams) and Evelyn Lozada (Antoine Walker’s baby mama) who do everything but accuse Barnes of straying from his engagement. In the show’s previous episode, Eric Williams admitted on camera to cheating on wife Jennifer while he played in the NBA.
This week Barnes guested on the Jim Rome radio show and was asked about the VH1 reality show.
One guess what his reaction was.
“I was 100% against it. Shaunie O’Neal approached my fiancee (Gloria) and I was really apprehensive about it. They kept approaching my fiancee Gloria about it back and forth and back and forth and I was really against it.
“My fiancee talked to the producers and went through everything and felt good about it. I definitely backed her (on the decision to go on the show).
“But after watching the first show I was disgusted. I told my team (Orlando Magic) because Dwight (Howard) is involved in that too, that I’m not going to be watching that because I know it’s going to make me mad. I’m going to watch it at the end of the season.
“What they say is going to happen and what actually happens is two different things. Reality TV is a joke, everything is scripted. There’s nothing reality about reality TV.
“If you want to have me back on (the Rome show) at the end of the season, once I won’t be able to get fined for what I say, I’ll definitely say what I think about that.”
Matt: I think you covered it big bruh.
The embarrassing appearance by Barnes and his fiancée on the show couldn’t have come at a worst time for the NBA player. Barnes, who to this point in his career has been an NBA journeyman, has played well enough this season to merit a possible multi-year contract extension from the Magic. And the Magic are smack in the middle of the playoffs.
Barnes mentioned Dwight Howard being “involved” in the show, but Howard had no control over his baby mama Royce Reed going on the show. Also, Reed is not legally allowed to talk about Howard or their prior relationship. That’s a far cry from having your current fiancée as a regular on the show and appearing on it yourself.
Barnes has played for eight teams in seven seasons in his NBA career, and just as it appears he finally may have found a home in the NBA - on a title-contending team no less - he allows his himself to get roped into a nationally-televised production that will have nothing but a negative effect on his career.
Is it unfair to conclude that that sort of bad decision making gives a pretty prominent clue why Barnes has been asked to pack his bags by so many NBA teams?
8:17 pm on April 29th, 2010
I see you’re still using your Jump To Conclusion Mat.
8:43 pm on April 29th, 2010
How dumb of a man can you be Son?
9:52 pm on April 29th, 2010
bitter ass women who cant keep there pro athletes happy
10:17 pm on April 29th, 2010
tigers name was brought up since matt and his philly live nearby…dez bryants mother was 122 on tigers bang list…brooks…several nfl commentators have defended the question posed to bryant including marcellas wiley…google it
12:58 am on April 30th, 2010
“Basketball Wives?” Should be titled Basketball GoldDiggers or Basketball Groupies. Jeez. Yo Matt, your fiancee’s willingness to go onto a show like this is a big red flag. Actually, it’s more like the opening ceremony for the Beijing Games. You marry this chick and five years from now, you’re gonna wonder where all your gold went.
6:43 am on April 30th, 2010
I’m not a fan of Barnes, but I think he handled himself around the bimbo goldiggers pretty well. His fiancee seems like a nice girl, and he has some cute kids.
12:49 pm on April 30th, 2010
Matt Barnes needs to hang out Dez Bryant’s Dad and work on his pimphand.
1:33 pm on April 30th, 2010
I saw the episode and I think he did handle himself. I honestly think those two women are disgusting. I feel like this, either you married the wrong type of guy or you were not handling your business at home. Too many women point the finger before they look in the mirror. Matt should have talked to someone before he decided to go on. Hopefully his wife is not as gullible as some of those other wives. All I see are two bitter women, who now assume every man is like thier exes. Look in the mirror ladies. How can you get mad at another woman for not acting as if her man is cheating? Birds of a Feather flock together. lol
2:21 pm on April 30th, 2010
Why would any man, that loves his girl allow her to be part of a show with nothing but EX-wives and baby mama’s? He support her? What a fool. They have two little kids to think about. WHAT A STUPID DECISION by Matt. If she was so set on doing the show, then it may tell him something about his soon to be wife. If she the type that wants to be a “TV STAR” then maybe she’s not what you think. Birds of a feather!!! Shaunie is the ring leader if this crew, but Matt should take note of his lady’s choices because as Shaq learned the hard way….You can’t turn Hoz, into housewives! LOL!
3:08 pm on April 30th, 2010
As someone who has worked in the Reality Television genre for years, I support Matt’s assessment. There is nothing real or unscripted about what you see, and every segment is normally planned and set-up well in advance of shooting. His girl likely really wanted to do the show because it was presented to her in a context that had an appeal and he supported her in the decision. We may not always agree with what our significant others chose to do, but we will often support them in their decision if it is not overtly destructive. That said the Producers and crew who arrived at his house before the dejected Ball Hoes “Cast Members” framed the shoot as a dinner or get together, when in “reality” it was more of a salacious inquisition to try and get him to admit to an infidelity or compromise and out other teammates who may have committed infidelities on camera.
Matt handled the situation about as well as could be expected under the circumstances. He should have gone a bit further and asserted on camera to Evelyn and Jennifer “Just because your personal lives are broken with failed relationships, don’t come into my house and attempt to inject your toxicity into ours”.
Good Luck to Matt and his Girl, let the other busted hoes rot from within.
3:29 pm on April 30th, 2010
Those are some angry women with Jennifer Williams being the worse. She has no class and is so phony. I recently watched an episode and she was called out for what she really is, a fake azz with a broken marriage and trying to ruin anyone else’s who life is not in shabmles like the one she is in. My advice for would be take care of yours first and let other people live there lives. That was great move by Dwight Howard to shut his baby mama down, just think if the other players has lawyers or agents as good as Dwight, these golddiggers would have no platform
3:47 pm on April 30th, 2010
Oh my goodness.
3:52 pm on April 30th, 2010
Matt’s fiance made the decision to go on the show not Matt. Although it could affect him negatively, she is a grown ass woman who can make her own decisions. She seems like a lamb among wolves. Those woman are evil, spiteful and bitter. She should keep her distance. As for Matt, I wouldn’t say it would affect him too badly. Hell if Kenyon Martin can date slutty rapper Trina and be okay this show can’t do too much damage for Matt Barnes either.
4:02 pm on April 30th, 2010
I agree with all of you. I really feel for you Matt b/c I am a woman, and I would have been uncomfortable with the “Tiger Woods” questions too. I mean really? They brought their bitter selves into your house with that noise.
You can tell that they are bitter and want to infect anyone else that they can with their poison. Yes, the reports on Tiger casts a shadow on him, but they should have known better than to come at you like that especially in front of your fiance.
If they really cared about her and were concerned, they would have pulled you to the side and let you know ( just in case you were thinking of anything slimy) the pain that they have felt and how they wouldn’t ever wish for Gloria to go through that. But they didn’t do that or anything else tasteful. What they did was whack and I have no respect for that.
Again, I am a woman, and in no way do they have respect from me for the silly things that they did/do. I wish they would stop being so fake.
“NBA Shrews”, Stop acting like you are trying to help by doing the things that you are doing. You are hurt, we get that, but don’t be like this. You are see through, so nobody is fooled by your actions but you. Don’t make it seem like nobody can have it good just because you didn’t. I’m not talking on what anybody else is doing. No matter what Matt is doing, it is not your business to handle, especially like that. Grow up. You can do better than what you are doing and show some class. Get your relationship straight b/t you and your man. It’s not always easy. I know, I’m married too. But with the way you are acting right now, nobody but you all feels sorry for you, and everyone can see why you were cheated on, b/c you seem like a pain in the but to deal with. Get it together.
6:30 pm on May 1st, 2010
The BBall Wives r a Bunch of GoldDiggin Whores, if these women Loved Eric (Ugly Ass Mumbles) Williams & Antoine (Drunk Ugly ) Walker then Shame on U B*tches
10:44 am on May 4th, 2010
COME ON MAN… Matt and Gloria, please, please, please, get off that trashy reality show.
Like TEE says” Why would any man, that loves his girl allow her to be part of a show with nothing but EX-wives and baby mama’s?”
Gloria and Matt you too seem to have much more class and values to want to be looked at like those other trifling women….
COME ON MATT… I know your mother raised a fine and decent young man and now you are a father with two beautiful babies to raise… Raise with good morals and values… PLEASE
BTW Matt, your comment about Tiger… SPOT ON DUDE… Tiger Woods and his business is no ones business but Tiger Woods and his wife’s…
Good Luck Matt and Gloria
2:07 pm on May 4th, 2010
Just gold digging ho’s!! If you don’t want to lose your dough, stay away from the ho!!