After signing a two-year $3.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, Matt Barnes made sure to himself and everyone else that he was a Laker - not with championship rings, playoff experience, or MVP-caliber statistics - but as of this past Wednesday, Barnes became "velcro to paparazzi" and joined fellow Lakers players, Lamar Odom and the always erratic Ron Artest.
Here's a refresher for those who don't follow TMZ - bless your soul. Last summer before training camp, Lamar Odom attracted all the "buzz" with his marriage with Khloe Kardashian, co-star of the reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians. Everyone has his or her own opinion about about the Kardashians. Mine doesn't see them as any different from Paris Hilton, so I'll stop there. And what more needs to be said about Ron Artest? He dyes his hair another color every other game, admits to drinking tequila during halftime, gets pulled over for speed racing in a miniature race car, and recently wants to sell his championship ring for charity.
And now the most recently added Laker joined in the shenanigans. Barnes was arrested for domestic violence, by disallowing his wife to talk to 911 operators. Though Barnes and even his wife dismiss these accusations, the scars speak for themselves, as several sources describe bruises and scars imprinted on both the individuals' bodies, especially his wife's, which targets Barnes as the primary aggressor.
Even if media may not have all of its facts straight, why is it that the Lakers are always up to something? During the NBA season, the team seems seemingly untouchable, so everyone is talking about them. And when offseason hits, it's almost as if the Lakers don't want the attention away from them so they attract attention towards themselves. Let's get married to one of the most gossiped individuals on the planet, after just two weeks of dating. Let's race down Melrose in race cars. Let's physically abuse our wives and then dismiss it to cause a public stir. Why? Because we could, and we're in Hollywood.
And if that assumption is completely false, is it just the city of Los Angeles that attracts all of this attention? Isn't it ironic that Barnes, a low-profile player that gained recognition through hard work and perseverance, got himself into a mess not even a month into "taking his talents to the [City of Angels]" (I just like that word choice, credit to LeBron James in ESPN's greatest one-hour show The Decision)? Maybe the area in which you live really is contagious. As unbelievable and childish as it may sound, maybe the actions of his teammates and the Hollywood celebrities around him caught up to him.
But people will argue: he was with the Los Angeles Clippers at one point of time in his career. First of all, it was for 10 days. Secondly, it's the Clippers. The only notable celebrity that goes out to those games is Frankie Muniz. And the only drama and media attention that surrounds that organization is the fact that Donald Sterling is still the owner.
Odom, Artest, and Barnes all bring different aspects to the table to help the Lakers in its quest for a three-peat. Odom brings his 6'10" versatility. Artest brings his tough perimeter defense. And Barnes brings all of the intangibles. But they all represent Hollywood's favorite NBA team. And Hollywood expects something all the time - not just basketball.
- Leather Head
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