Matt Barnes believes too many former athletes within the media are being overly harsh of right this moment’s gamers so as to chase clicks.
As a former participant himself, Barnes advocated for a bit of extra steadiness throughout an look on the Stephen A. Smith Present.
“I really feel there are athletes who’ve been former gamers which have type of crossed that line too,” Barnes says. “And I don’t really feel like these guys can name the homies they used to play with anymore and be like, ‘Hey, what’s up,’ or attempt to get the inside track. All of us have our inside sources, and to me, I’ve at all times valued that greater than giving a community type of what they need. I really feel like typically the networks need you to go that further mile for views and clicks. And I by no means checked out it that method.
“Once I was lucky sufficient to work at ESPN — for the three-and-a-half, four-plus years I labored for them — I used to be at all times very content material in my house as a result of I knew that I might provide you with an in-depth evaluation from a participant’s perspective and throw some analytics in there. However I used to be by no means prepared to go on the market and disrespect these guys as a result of I understand how exhausting it’s to be within the place. Like, I used to be a task participant for 15 years. I couldn’t think about what it’s like, however I do know rather more than an everyday pedestrian, what it’s wish to be considered one of these stars.”
Barnes made the purpose that you may critique a participant with out disrespecting them.
“So, I’ve by no means — I’ve at all times understood, not simply in basketball, however throughout the board. I feel we’re in an period now the place loud disrespect is accepted as an alternative of critiquing athletes, which is what it was once. So, I don’t know if it’ll ever actually return.”
It was fascinating that Barnes made the feedback to Stephen A. Smith, contemplating the longtime ESPN persona has a protracted historical past of flaming gamers relationship all the way in which again to his well-known roast of Kwame Brown.
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