Matt Barnes doesn’t have ring from 2017 Warriors championship, doesn't think he's a champ

Retired NBA star Matt Barnes signed with the Golden State Warriors in March 2017 as a free agent so he could play instead of Kevin Durant, who had suffered a knee injury. Barnes played 20 games that season, where he averaged close to 20 minutes per game. However, Barnes sprained his ankle before the playoffs and was sidelined for the first round. He returned to play the NBA Finals, where he was on the court for only ten minutes per game. In a recent interview, Barnes discussed the Matt Barnes Warriors ring from 2017, and how he does not think of himself as an NBA champion. 

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Matt Barnes Warriors ring: Why did Barnes not claim the Matt Barnes 2017 Warriors Championship ring?

Barnes talked about the Matt Barnes 2017 Warriors Championship ring during the latest episode of the All The Smoke Podcast, which he co-hosts with Stephen Jackson. When asked about the Matt Barnes Warriors ring, the 40-year-old revealed that the ring is still in Raymond Ridder's office, who he called the 'best media dude' and 'mogul for the Golden State Warriors'. Barnes said he came to San Francisco after Durant was injured, and got hurt a week before the playoff. He called it the 'worst ankle sprain' of his life and revealed that he did not expect the Warriors to change their rotation in the second round of the playoffs when they had already won eight games. He knew was going to sit, cheer the team and talk to people if they needed to be talked to. He ended the discussion by saying that he was not in the 'dog hole' with the team, did not get to guard LeBron James and the Matt Barnes Warriors ring was free. 

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Matt Barnes Warriors ring discussed on the All The Smoke podcast

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The Warriors won the 2016-17 title with a 67-15 win-loss run in the regular season and a 16-1 record in the playoffs. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 to claim the NBA championship in Durant's first year with Golden State. Barnes played with the Warriors from 2006 to 2008 before the team was a championship contender. He started his NBA career in 2003 with the Los Angeles Clippers and retired in December 2017 with the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 74.5 percent from the free-throw line. 

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