Forwards Matt Barnes of the Memphis Grizzlies and Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder have reputations as a couple of the more rugged enforcers in the National Basketball Association today. Both have been accused of engaging in dirty tactics and instigating unnecessary conflict on the basketball court. Now that conflict may be spilling off the basketball court and into the Octagon.
Appearing on ESPN’s SportsNation on Tuesday, Barnes was asked about his noted history with the Thunder big man dating back to his time as a Los Angeles Clipper.
“Me and Serge could fight right now if he was here,” the UCLA product asserted. “I just don’t like him.”
When Max Kellerman pressed, “What is it about him that rubs you the wrong way?” Barnes replied, “He’s got that aura about him that he’s the toughest guy on the planet. He’s not. Whether it’s on the court or off the court.”
The 35-year-old’s studio jabs did not go unnoticed as just a few hours later, Ibaka himself quoted a tweet of Barnes’ comments and tagged UFC president Dana White to gauge his interest in setting up a potential showdown.
"Me and Serge can fight right now if he was here, I just don't like him."
Matt Barnes explains himself on the show. pic.twitter.com/ozRko1oyqA
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) July 21, 2015
@danawhite @ufc are you interested? LOL https://t.co/tgXNbDxBPq
— Serge Ibaka (@sergeibaka9) July 21, 2015
Now that’s a matchup I would pay some good money to see.
Ibaka’s massive 7-foot-4 wingspan would give him a huge reach advantage against the 6-foot-9 wingspan of Barnes. Plus Barnes might find Father Time working against him with Ibaka being 10 years his junior.
Nevertheless, my money would still be on Matt Barnes in this hypothetical Octagon smackdown. The veteran has a long track record as a bruiser who jumps into many a physical altercation without a second thought to show that he has a teammate’s back.
Ibaka, meanwhile, has yet to prove he is anything more than a keyboard warrior (with the lone exception of the hugging battle he once had with LaMarcus Aldridge). The Congolese big man is exactly the type of fake tough guy Barnes was alluding to and he would really struggle with the UFC’s “no hitting below the belt” rule.
While Barnes and Ibaka may never actually get into the Octagon with one another, an already juicy Western Conference rivalry between the Thunder and the Grizzlies gets yet another layer of allure.
