Harrison Barnes and the Sacramento Kings are currently locked in an extremely competitive first-round playoff series with the Golden State Warriors.
The matchup holds a ton of meaning for Barnes because he won his only championship as a member of the Warriors in 2015. One year later, his poor performance played a significant role in Golden State’s infamous 3-1 blown NBA Finals debacle against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Warriors ended up bringing Kevin Durant onboard shortly thereafter, and Barnes signed a four-year, $94 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks the same summer.
Apparently, Barnes blames one particular former teammate for his hasty Warriors exit. So much so, that he refused to invite him to his wedding.
During a conversation with Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard last year, Draymond Green revealed that Barnes had an issue with him over his perceived recruitment of Durant to Golden State.
“To this day, Harrison Barnes don’t like me for KD coming here,” Green said. “And the reality is, I didn’t tell the Warriors to trade you to bring KD in. … He took it very personally because of that story that came out that I cried to KD in the car. He took it very personally at me.
“This dude invites Steph, Klay and everybody to his wedding except me. I didn’t take it personally ’cause it is what it is. … It sucks that you got traded, but you went and made your money.”
This Warriors-Kings series has been absolutely electric, even with Green-Barnes beef notwithstanding. There is a reason it has received the highest TV ratings of any postseason matchup thus far in 2023.
Win or lose, Barnes’ Kings really made a statement in the first round of this year’s playoffs.
Nobody expected them to do this well.
Will that offer Barnes some solace in light of his ill will toward Green? Hopefully he addresses that at some point in the foreseeable future.
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