After an NBA career where he gained a reputation as something of a bad boy, Matt Barnes now appears to have his sights set on a political career.
Speaking this week with Sean Cunningham of KXTV, the retired forward and Sacramento native spoke on his charitable works in the city before revealing that he is interested in running for mayor of Sacramento in the future.
My 1-on-1 w. Sacramento native Matt Barnes on his popular "All the Smoke" podcast, Kobe Bryant & his Kings departure.
With @vibehealthbar he's assisting heath care workers & eyeing a future run for mayor in his hometown. @Matt_Barnes22
Full Interview: https://t.co/aeWjPoSbh1 pic.twitter.com/HDc41rDqPF
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) April 12, 2020
“Sacramento will always be my heart,” said Barnes. “I eventually wanna come back there one day and possibly run for mayor. Keeping things in perspective, I loved my time there. I appreciate the fans, I love it there and [I’m] looking to move back there one day and have that be my final resting spot.
“[I saw] Kevin Johnson do it,” the 40-year-old Barnes added when asked how he became interested in a mayoral bid. “Keeping a close eye on him and talking with him and talking with his cabinet at the beginning. It wasn’t so much about the politics of the game, I just loved what he did for the city. There’s a lot of stuff I’m doing behind the scenes that people don’t know for the city because I love the city so much. Hopefully one day, whether 10 or 15 years down the road, once my business stuff slows down and my kids get a little bit older, I can move to Sacramento and possibly do that.”
Johnson, another former NBA star and native of the city, served as mayor of Sacramento for two terms from 2008 to 2016. He was also the African-American to hold the position.
As for Barnes, he played two of his 14 career seasons in Sacramento for the Kings before retiring in 2017. The UCLA product has already been doing some interesting things in his post-playing career, and giving back to his community by running for mayor would be another one.
