Ever since Steve Kerr took over the Golden State Warriors, multiple veterans have joined the team in an attempt to win an NBA championship before retiring. Theyāre on the sunset of their careers and can only do so much on the court but they can still be valuable assets on a contender.
While āring-chasingā has drawn some negative connotations over the years, itās become a more common trend in recent times. And, in most cases, there should be no shame in that for those players who put together a remarkable career but could never find playoff success.
That was the case with Matt Barnes, who was traded to the Dubs in the middle of their championship season. Barnes was called upon to provide his 3-and-D expertise but got hurt and could barely play, which is why he feels like he didnāt actually earn that ring.
Matt Barnes Says He Didnāt Earn That Ring With The Warriors
āI went to Golden State because KD hurt his knee. I instantly went and played 25 minutes my first game. It was a dream come true. It was some of the most selfless basketball I have ever played in my life,ā Barnes said on J.J. Redicksā āThe Old Man And The Tree.ā āBut the game KD came back, literally one of the worst ankle sprains of my career. It felt like I broke my ankle. This was maybe a week before the Playoffs, so I never really got to play.ā
āI have earned everything in my career and nothing has been given to me,ā Barnes explained.āI didnāt have to guard LeBron, I didnāt have to guard Kawhi, guard Dame, or CJ. If I was healthy, I wouldāve. The way my bodyās been my entire career, I feel like I earned a ring. But that Warriors situation, I had front row seats to the greatest show on hardwood.ā
Even so, Barnes had been a part of the iconic āWe Believeā Warriors team, so he had contributed to the organization to some extent, even if it wasnāt with this championship team. Now, heās a champion no one can ever take that away from him.
