Barnes' pain goes beyond court
Contra Costa Times
Article Launched: 11/28/2007 02:59:00 AM PST
Warriors forward Matt Barnes has been playing through tremendous pain.
It had nothing to do with his dislocated right ring finger, which sends a shooting sensation throughout his entire hand whenever it's hit. It had nothing to do with his throbbing left ankle, which he twisted late in Monday's win over the Phoenix Suns. It had nothing do with not getting the lucrative long-term contract he so coveted this offseason.
Barnes was gutting out a pain that belittles sprains and fractures, trivializes blows to the ego. It even trumped success and victory.
His mom was dying.
Ann Barnes, 52, died Tuesday morning from cancer in Sacramento. But though his mother was coping with a terminal disease, though his family was preparing for its inevitable loss, Barnes remained committed to his teammates. A leave of absence would be understandable, maybe even recommended. But Barnes not only showed up when he could, but he played his heart out -- at least what was left of it.
"It's just great to be back with my second family," Barnes said after the Phoenix victory.
He is so determined to support his teammates that he told the Warriors he wants to play tonight when the Warriors (6-7) visit the Sacramento Kings (5-9), fewer than 48 hours after his mother's passing. Barnes usually looks forward to playing in his hometown against his former team.
While this won't be the typical homecoming, for obvious reasons, he still wants to play -- provided his ankle holds up. This
is a huge game for the Warriors, against an in-state and Pacific Division rival, as they try to get their record back to .500.
"If I can play," Barnes said Monday night, "I'm going to play."
And don't be surprised if he plays big.
Barnes' recent play has been impressive despite his situation. In his past two games -- separated by the five-game East Coast road trip, which Barnes skipped to be with his mother -- he averaged 12.5 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, 7.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. He has been all over the place, on both ends of the court, serving as a catalyst for the reinvigorated Warriors.
"Matt was very impressive," Warriors coach Don Nelson said of Barnes' performance Monday. "I didn't know how much he could give us, but the energy was much needed."
Barnes was already one of the team's inspirational figures, dating back to last season. He made the Warriors as a training-camp invitee, helped them get through early season struggles with some relatively stellar performances and played a key role in their playoff push. He was the enforcer, the garbage man, the utility player and a quiet leader. So much so that Nelson made Barnes a captain this season despite Barnes' pending free agency.
That said, what he did this season was extraordinary. Driving back and forth between Sacramento and Oakland. Sacrificing some of his family time to be with his teammates. Somehow finding the focus and energy to bring something to the court. He exceeded what anyone could've expected given his circumstance, and it's not going unnoticed in the locker room.
"He's our heart, man," said Warriors point guard Baron Davis, one of Barnes' closest friends on the team. "He's our heart and soul. We feed off of him, we feed off his emotion, his hunger, the way he plays out there, the way he scraps."
Assuredly, Barnes needs the Warriors as much as they needed him. Many athletes find their profession to be a much-needed escape during tragic times. Barnes expressed relief that he could get back on the court again.
Who could blame him? You could see the stress on his face --the clenched jaw and blank stare -- when he was asked how he was holding up. While the Warriors were rallying from an 0-6 start on the road, Barnes was facing the harsh reality of his mother's fate, walking with his family through the most trying of times.
Compared with that kind of pain, an ankle sprain is nothing.
