Matt Barnes was the NBA's "bad guy" for 14 seasons.
"I was one of those guys who really had to fight to make it in this league," Barnes recently told The Bee's Jason Jones. "Early on I had to do whatever it took, whether that be fight, rough people up, be physical, to make the team. I looked at it as them or me and it was going to be me."
On Monday, two weeks after collecting his only championship ring, Barnes announced his retirement from the NBA through a post on his Instagram page.
"Love me or HATE ME, I DID IT MY WAY!!" Barnes, 37, wrote in the post.
Barnes, a Del Campo High School graduate, played for nine teams during his NBA career, including two stints with the Kings (43 games in the 2004-05 season and 54 in 2016-17). He last played for the Golden State Warriors, who last season won their second title in three years.
Barnes appeared in 32 games (20 regular season, 12 playoffs) with the Warriors, who gave him a championship ring on Nov. 27. It was presented to him by Steven Kenyon, his football coach at Del Campo.
