Derek Fisher Finally Explained His Side Of The Matt Barnes Story

Derek Fisher finally had his say.

Months after he was embroiled in a controversy with Matt Barnes, which reportedly featured Barnes driving over 90 miles to his ex-wife's home to confront Fisher, her boyfriend, the former New York Knicks coach explained his side of the story.

In a personal account for The Cauldron, Fisher wrote he didn't appreciate the manner in which Gloria Govan was treated as an ornament in the narrative. He wrote,

First, I was stunned and disappointed by the way Gloria was treated in the media. After the much publicized (and unfortunate) situation went down in Los Angeles last year, story after story was published that portrayed her as a piece of property, instead of the strong, independent woman and mother she is; someone who is capable of making her own decisions. This is a human being we are talking about, not some pawn in a game.

It's a fair criticism, indeed. For the most part, the discussion centered on a Barnes vs. Fisher angle while seldom considering the potential trauma a woman would have after having her ex-husband show up unannounced because she moved on.

But, that's not the only issue Fisher had with the portrayal of the general story. He also said his "relationship" with Barnes, which was widely purported to be a former friendship, was exaggerated.

He wrote,

Our kids didn't hang out, our families didn't interact. There were no birthday parties. There were no post-game dinners. We weren't friends, and we had no mutual friends.

Fisher and Barnes did play together for the Lakers for two seasons (2010-11 and the lockout-shortened 2011-12), but he emphasized that was all there was to their prior history.

Furthermore, Fisher crucially insisted "no fight" occurred, saying,

I don't know what was going through Matt's mind that day in October when he showed up unannounced at Gloria's house, and started swinging. I didn't retaliate. No one who was there did anything but try to get him to calm down, particularly because Matt and Gloria's children were present. There was no fight.

Whether or not anyone was hurt, Derek Fisher's reputation certainly was. But every story has two sides, and after this little glimpse, his seems worth telling.

Citations: Truth (The Cauldron)