Matt Barnes uses potential Finals appearance as reason to get court date pushed back

Athletes who are in legal trouble often find themselves having to work around their athletic schedules in order to attend arraignments and hearings, but Matt Barnes had a particularly bold excuse that successfully got his next court date pushed back to the end of June.

Barnes just signed with the Golden State Warriors after being released by the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors are, of course, the best team record-wise in the NBA and a favorite to reach the NBA Finals. That’s actually pertinent, as Barnes was arraigned on assault charges stemming from an incident at a New York nightclub in December. The judge sought a mid-June court date to follow up, but Barnes’s attorney had other ideas, and a very bold reason why.

Alex Spiro, Matt Barnes' lawyer, gets court date pushed back to 6/27: "I have reason to believe my client will be playing in the NBA finals"

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 3, 2017

It did work. And it’s not a nonsensical excuse, as the Warriors are probably favorites to get back to the Finals for a third straight year.

June 18 is the latest possible date the NBA Finals can run, meaning Barnes will have plenty of time to prepare for his court date no matter what. He has claimed he was simply defending himself in the incident.