Matt Barnes Fined $35,000 for "Condoning Violence"

Matt Barnes is perhaps best described by the following frame from Calvin and Hobbes:

Yes, Matt Barnes is exactly like a train-plane crash gas leak with an earthquake slowly approaching: such a disaster, but you can't tear your eyes away from it. After the whole 'trying to fight former teammate/current Knicks coach Derek Fisher for dating Barnes' ex-wife' thing really blew up in Barnes' face last month, Barnes was suspended for two games as a punishment. But that turned out to be just the beginning.

In the latest calamity, Barnes has been fined $35,000 for making public comments that just didn't sit well with the NBA.

NBA says Matt Barnes words are "unacceptable" and do not reflect "who we are as a league." pic.twitter.com/RGjJbN3yiR
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) January 17, 2016

So what went down? Last night was the first matchup between Barnes' Memphis Grizzlies and Fisher's Knicks since the altercation in October, and Barnes spoke to reporters about how the loving reunion would go.

"I don't talk with snakes," Barnes told the New York Post's Stefan Bondy, later saying that he didn't think the league should discipline Fisher. "I never wish for another man's downfall. I always knew the NBA would come down hard on me, so I wasn't surprised… Cause I'm the bad guy."

But here's the real kicker: last night Barnes spoke to reporters saying,

So Barnes just up and said that violence is never the answer, except for sometimes? Putting aside the fact that his taped-together turn-of-phrase makes absolutely no logical sense, it's also probably not the best time—after already being punished by the league—to go ahead and actually directly condone violence. Seems like that train-plane crash earthquake gas leak just got a tire fire added to it. The Grizzlies and the Knicks play each other again on February 5.