Former NBA Star Matt Barnes Earned His Net Worth on and off the Court

On April 19, 2024, WeTV aired Matt Barnes’ latest reality TV venture, The Barnes Bunch. The reality TV show is about Matt and his fiancee, model Anansa Sims’ extended family of six kids.

Between the family’s basketball games and other shenanigans, Matt and Anansa use their platform to have meaningful, candid conversations about their relationship. I mean, how many couples are willing to share their couples counseling sessions with the world?

Matt and Anansa’s willingness to put their business in front of the camera is likely inspired by their being in the spotlight for their careers. While Anansa grew up in the entertainment industry as supermodel Beverly Johnson’s daughter, Matt succeeded as a prominent NBA star in the sports world.

He’s since used his knowledge and passion for basketball to create a profitable venture and establish a net worth that keeps him and his family living comfortably.

Many reality TV watchers may remember Matt from his time on Basketball Wives in the 2010s with his ex-wife, Gloria Govan. But before Shaunie Henderson (nee O’Neal) came knocking on their door, Matt had already established himself in the NBA.

Although Matt grew up interested in basketball and football, he honed in on basketball once he graduated from high school. In 1998, he attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played four college basketball seasons. After making a name for himself at UCLA, he was drafted into the 2002 NBA draft, becoming a second-round pick with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Matt went on to play 14 seasons with the NBA, playing for multiple teams, including the Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, and the Charlotte Hornets, to name a few. Throughout his career, he was praised for his talent and scolded for his behavior, being fined and suspended multiple times. In 2017, Matt decided to retire from the NBA.

Since his retirement, Matt has continued working and building his fortune. Today, he has a reported net worth of $13 million. The millions come from his NBA coins and his second career as an NBA analyst and broadcaster. Matt also found success in the podcasting industry with his and fellow NBA champion Stephen Jackson’s podcast, All the Smoke. The podcast highlights Matt and Stephen’s hot takes on sports and pop culture and includes celebrity guests like Busta Rhymes and Deion Sanders.

After a celebrated basketball career, Matt found his footing analyzing basketball. In 2021, he signed on as a broadcaster for one of his former teams, the Sacramento Kings. Matt was with the Kings until they fired him in February 2024.

According to The Mirror, Matt was involved in a verbal altercation during his son Carter’s high school game at Crespi Carmelite against Harvard-Westlake in California. After Carter was called for a technical foul, Matt yelled at the referees and Harvard-Westlake’s student announcer, Jake Lancer. Lancer told The Sacramento Bee that Matt threatened him on the court, telling him, “I’ll slap the s--- out of you.”

NBC Sports California later let Matt go as the Sacramento Kings’ broadcaster. Amid the firing, he explained to The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz that he only intended to yell at the referees and apologized for his behavior, stating his “one mistake” was putting his hands on Lancer’s shoulder during the argument.

“I want to make clear that the narrative of me as some guy that beats up people, I want people to know I didn't body slam this kid,” Matt said on the Dan Le Batard Show. “I didn't choke slam him. I didn't do any of the sort. I literally put my hand on his shoulder like I was talking to one of my sons. And, again, for touching him, I was wrong. But I just didn't like the disrespect that came with the entitlement where they felt like they could say anything to me."

Fortunately, Matt has other projects in the works, including The Barnes Bunch! New episodes air on Fridays at 10 p.m. EST on WeTV.