Episode 51 - Matt Barnes

The Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins

On the latest episode of the Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins, the guys are joined by NBA Champion Matt Barnes. After a long career in the NBA, Matt talks about his path to finding his 2nd career in the media. The All The Smoke Podcast is the culmination of Matt and Stephen Jackson's playing careers turned into stories and insightful interviews.

You can follow Matt Barnes on Twitter and Instagram

5:00 - Growing up in Sacramento in a mostly white school, Matt talks about how important it was to him to stand up for himself in the face of racism.

9:30 - To this day, Matt describes himself as a football player on the basketball court. What mentality did he take from the gridiron to ratchet it up a notch on defense?

12:30 - Matt's "Business Decision" to choose basketball over football had everything to do with longevity. Matt Barnes could have been a star player in the NFL, but he never envisioned he could have lasted 14 years like he did in the NBA.

15:00 - In 2006, Matt reached a crossroads in his career where he thought playing basketball would come to an end. He received an opportunity from Don Nelson in Golden State that extended his career another decade.

19:30 - Working with the next generation of NBA players, Matt describes coaching AAU Basketball, and preparing kids on what it's like to be in the NBA for over a decade.

28:00 - How Matt's reputation helped set a special mentality and edge to his game. How does he stay true to himself to this day as a member of the media, based on who he was on the basketball court.

30:00 - Barnes talks about his approach to being a member of the media "Jay-Z Said it Best"

35:00 - Compared to how he grew up, Matt knows his kids now don't have it as tough as he did. It's so important to him to give those kids all the opportunities to overcome adversity on the court. Don't let anyone run away from the grind to becoming the best version of yourself.

38:30 - The Kobe Bryant pump fake. Matt takes it back to meeting Kobe Bryant while he was at UCLA, and how the competitive fire built between the two. It all worked out between the two, with Barnes getting a phone call to join Kobe in LA.

44:00 - Being Able to Watch Kobe Bryant grow and develop, breaking his hand and going through left-handed workouts

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