Matt Barnes Claims Shaq Convinced Him To Do “Basketball Wives” After He Repeatedly Rejected The Offer

Whenever current or former NBA stars appear alongside their girlfriends, wives, or exes on reality television, it’s often questioned why they would want to add their names to the long list of athletes-turned-reality stars. When Matt Barnes popped up on Basketball Wives alongside his then-fiancée Gloria Govan, it was a look that many NBA fans were surprised to see. What was meant to show their growing family and philanthropic efforts turned into drama-filled chaos, including his arrest for alleged domestic violence against his now-ex.

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Matt recently shared with Vlad TV that initially, he didn’t want anything to do with the show. “Also while I was playing with Shaq, that whole Basketball Wives bullsh*t came about,” he said. “There was a situation where my ex was coming to me with kind of a pitch. ‘Oh, this is gonna be a show about us stepping outside of your shadow and raising a family and running foundations.’ And I’m just like, ‘Nah.’ Because up to that point, our relationship was kinda rushed and really fast. We had kids and lived together and we’re in a different city within a year-and-a-half of being together. So, the last thing we need to be, whether it’s a good portrayal or not, is on TV. Let’s kinda find our situation.”

Vlad mentions that although the public believes that Shaunie O’Neal is solely responsible for the creation of the series, Shaq is an intricate part of what goes on behind-the-scenes, as well. “I wanna say he was the driving force,” Matt added. “He was the one that convinced me. My ex came to me several times and I told her no several times. And then Shaq pitched me on it and what it was gonna be and all this kinda sh*t and I finally…I agreed.” It would be a decision that he’d later regret.

Aside from his remarks about his previous stint on Basketball Wives, Matt also chatted about Shaq’s recent tit-for-tat with Damian Dillard on wax. He admitted that he hadn’t heard the second round of diss tracks, but in the first round, he thought that Dame won, hands down. Check out the full clip below along with a scene from Matt and Gloria’s appearance on the hit VH1 series.