Although Golden State isn’t included in the 2020 postseason dance, one former member of the Warriors is bringing home some hardware.
Following their 2017 run to the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors presented Matt Barnes with his championship ring. However, three years later and his piece of championship jewelry was still in the Bay Area.
On Tuesday, the Warriors were able to reunite Barnes with his ring. In an appearance on ESPN’s “The Jump,” the Warriors had a courier drive the piece of NBA history to the Los Angeles studio where Barnes was located.
Along with his ring, Barnes got a message from Golden State head coach Steve Kerr.
Hey, Matt. Congratulations — about time you took this ring. We’ve been trying to get it to you for about three years, so. No, in all seriousness, I just want to say this was well-deserved. You played a big role on our team in 2017, especially when KD [Kevin Durant] went down, and you were a great leader. You were fantastic to coach, one of the most competitive people I’ve ever been around and you brought Warriors fans a lot of thrills over the years going back to the ‘We Believe’ era. So, thank you for everything you’ve done for our organization. Enjoy the ring. You are an NBA champion forever, and don’t ever forget that.
Via @ESPNNBA on Twitter:
After three years, @Matt_Barnes22 and his 2017 @warriors championship ring have been united đź’Ť pic.twitter.com/QoUOoPMXIK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 25, 2020
Barnes explained that after being presented with his ring in a special ceremony, he didn’t want to sit with it boxed up in the stands during the game. Instead, he left the ring in a room that was locked when he was ready to leave. Barnes thanked Warriors VP of Communication Raymond Ridder for holding onto the ring for him.
Via @matt_barnes9 on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEVhX9QJKu7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
When starting forward Kevin Durant was on the sidelines due to injury, Barnes played a crucial role down the stretch for the Warriors. After joining Golden State in 2017, Barnes logged 20 regular-season games with the Warriors, averaging 5.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20.5 minutes per contest.
Barnes suffered an ankle injury late in the year, impacting his role in the postseason. In 12 playoff appearances in 2017, the UCLA product averaged 5.1 minutes per game.
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