NBA star Matt Barnes sued over car accident
Matt Barnes, a former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player, has been sued for $25,000 for allegedly rear-ending a vehicle during a March 2011 car accident on a Los Angeles freeway — which left a family inside the car suffering from several injuries.
According to report that cites the lawsuit, 32-year-old Matt Barnes allegedly hit the back of the car and caused multiple injuries to all four people inside the car, which included three minors. Now, the family that filed the lawsuit because of the car accident is seeking a minimum amount of $25,000 for all the medical bills and property damage caused by the NBA star.
This is not the first time Matt Barnes had a run-in with the law. Aside from the alleged car accident, previous reports have stated that last earlier in August, the basketball player was arrested in Manhattan Beach, California due to a $26,000 traffic warrant that was issued to him for driving with a suspended license. He was also charged for resisting arrest from the police officers.
Matt Barnes, who is now entering his tenth NBA season, averaged 7.8 points in 22 minutes per game last year for the Los Angeles Lakers.
After a college career at UCLA, Matt Barnes was a second-round draft choice of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2002 NBA Draft. That summer, he was then traded that along with Nick Anderson to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Wesley Person, but was cut on October. He has since played for the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Clippers, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns, the Sacramento Kings and the Orlando Magic.
He was traded by the Sacramento Kings halfway through the 2004–2005 season, along with Chris Webber to the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for Kenny Thomas, Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner, though he never really suited up for a game with them due to knee tendinitis. Matt Barnes was waived and then signed a free agent contract with the New York Knicks in the 2005 NBA offseason. After playing six games, he was waived by the New York Knicks during the 2005–2006 season. Matt Barnes was then claimed by the Philadelphia 76ers to serve a second stint, where he finished out the season.